The “Ideal Beauty” of Flower-and-bird Paintings in the Song DynastyA Case Study of Flower Basket Painting Series by Court Painter Li Song in the Southern Song Dynasty

The flower-and-bird painting of the Song Dynasty is the most brilliant stage in the history of Chinese art, and has the characteristics of the times in the field of artistic creation. On the basis of the true meaning of sketching and respecting the rules of painting, the flower and bird painters in the Song Dynasty paid special attention to the accumulation of knowledge and cultivation, and paid more attention to the enhancement of artists’ personal character and sentiment. The reason why the flowers and birds of the Song Dynasty can still shine bright light today is that the “ideal beauty” of their works has reached the resonance of the painter and the viewer to nature, society and life, and it is also the concentrated embodiment of their knowledge, excellence and advocating character. Today in the 21st century, taking the Flower Basket Painting by the court painter Li Song as an example, this paper studies the “ideal beauty” of the flower-and-bird paintings of the Song Dynasty, which is rich and rigorous, delicate and colorful, and can bring new enlightenment to the modern art creation.