Research on the Aesthetic Implication of Ugliness in the Appreciation of Portrait Bricks in the Han Dynasty from the Perspective of the “Theory of Play”

The portraits in the Han Dynasty are an intuitive reflection of the life, ideological concepts, and aesthetic tastes of that era. The images of the appreciation of the ugly in them are unique. However, for a long time, academic research on their aesthetics has mainly focused on the positive and harmonious aesthetic category, and relatively less attention has been paid to the part of the appreciation of ugly. This paper introduces the “Theory of play” into the research on the appreciation of ugly in the portraits of the Han Dynasty. By deeply analyzing the types and expression techniques of the images of the appreciation of ugly in the portraits of the Han Dynasty under the Theory of play, this paper explores their artistic value and the cultural significance behind them. The present study finds that the Theory of play emphasizes the non - utilitarian, free, and creative nature of art, which is consistent with the practice of the creators of the portraits in the Han Dynasty breaking free from the constraints of conventional aesthetics and being bold in innovation when shaping the images of the appreciation of ugly. This consistency further expands the research field of traditional Chinese aesthetics and provides useful references for contemporary aesthetics and artistic creation.