FEATURES OF THE ARTISTIC EVOLUTION OF CHINESE GRAPHICS FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE QING ERA

Chinese graphics employs a variety of materials and production techniques that are incompatible with the European tradition. Firstly, these are materials, specifically, coloured and black ink, that are diluted with water. Furthermore, xylography, the oldest method of printed graphics, originated in China. The history of graphic art can also be attributed to the development of stone carving for the creation of seals with calligraphic and figurative motifs, which started in the second century AD when paper was introduced and began to spread in China. Moreover, calligraphy served as the foundation for the traditions of the guó huà fine art; the uniqueness of China's entire artistic culture, which spans thousands of years, is the inseparable connection between Chinese calligraphy, graphics, and painting. With special focus on the key phases of the development of traditional Chinese graphics and their social functions, the article explores the origins and evolution of Chinese graphics, as well as their role in cultural communication.