Frontiers in Art Research, 2025, 7(7); doi: 10.25236/FAR.2025.070713.
Rui Dong
Graduate School, Chinese National Academy of Arts, Beijing, China
This paper presents a groundbreaking comparative analysis of visual structures between Shang-Zhou bronze ornamentation and Renaissance painting, employing formal analysis and semiotic theory to reveal their underlying cultural logic. Through detailed examination of specific artifacts and artworks, the study demonstrates how these distinct visual systems served as sophisticated semiotic constructs that embodied fundamentally different worldviews. The research reveals that Shang-Zhou bronzes employed "all-over and symmetrical" patterns to create ritual spaces for celestial communication, while Renaissance paintings utilized "focal and perspectival" compositions to establish human-centered visual orders. This comparative framework offers new insights into the relationship between visual form and cultural meaning across civilizations, challenging traditional disciplinary boundaries in art historical research.
Bronze Ornamentation; Renaissance Painting; Visual Structure; Formal Analysis; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Semiotics; Art History
Rui Dong. From Ornament to Composition: A Comparative Study of the Visual Structures in Shang-Zhou Bronzes and Renaissance Painting. Frontiers in Art Research (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 7: 85-90. https://doi.org/10.25236/FAR.2025.070713.
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