形象与史学——兼论“中华文明历史题材美术创作工程”

Image and History: Art Creation Project on Historical Theme of Chinese Civilization

文字记载的文献,是中国古代历史研究的主要依据。但在物质文化领域,文字记载则不够全面、具体和形象,给学术研究造成局限。直到20世纪中叶,以沈从文为代表的学者在继承传统历史研究的基础上,开始全面利用出土和传世文物中的形象史料,结合文献对文化史问题进行研究,形成形象史学的研究方法,并取得突出成绩。在考古学科快速发展,提供大量出土资料的基础上,形象史学的理论方法逐渐为学界认同,表现形式也在不断创新。"中华文明历史题材美术创作工程"就是在上述背景下出现的完全用绘画、雕塑等艺术形象研究表述的中国通史,是形象史学创新理论的新实践,具有重要的历史意义。同时,工程的竣工还可向不同文化层次,不同语言和国界的读者展示中国历史,促进传统文化的传承与传播,具有突出的现实意义。

The written literature is the important foundation in the research on Chinese ancient history. However, in the aspect of material culture, the word records are not so comprehensive, concrete or vivid that the academic research is hindered. Until the mid 20th centur34 basing on the visual historical materials in the cultural relics and the related literature, the scholars such as Shen Congwen started the visual history method in the research on cultural history and then made a great achievement. In addition, due to the rapid development of archaeology and the numerous excavated cultural relics, the image history method is constantly innovated and gradually accepted by the academic circle. Under such background, the Art Creation Project on Historical Theme of Chinese Civilization is started, which could be considered as the general Chinese history represented by painting, sculpture and some other artistic forms. As a new practice of the image history theory, the art project is of profound historical and realistic significance. The project not only displays the Chinese history to audiences all over the world under different cultural backgrounds but also promotes the succession and spreading of the traditional culture.