Paintings and poems: Confucian aspects of Du Fu’s aestheticism

Abstract

In his poems on famous paintings discussed in this essay, Du Fu attempts to broaden the boundaries of poetry, and emphasizes the symbiosis of visual and verbal art. By interpreting some important selected works of art, Du Fu expounds his views on art theory, and reaches philosophical depth and artistic height in this creative process. Without losing the conciseness of his poetic language and leaving behind valid regulations of poesis of his time, the poet synthesizes and versifies important notions about the perfectness of art work. This essay focuses on the special Confucian aspect of Du Fu’s art theory, and attempts to explain how he uses the topic of art in expressing his commitment to Confucian values.