著名艺术家艾伦赵琼的巨幅历史浮雕解析其独特的美学特质和艺术语言

艾伦赵琼（Qiongzhao Ellen Schicktanz）作为当代国际著名的油画雕塑艺术家，她创作的大型高浮雕作品，以其对美国历史的深刻理解和独特的艺术表现力而闻名。作品中蕴含了深厚的跨文化视角和人文关怀。她善于通过人物形象的塑造，展现不同文化历史的精神内核与共同的人类情感。她创作的四件巨型高浮雕作品——两件青铜《华盛顿率军横渡特拉华河》、《美国独立宣言签名者》，青铜材质的厚重质感赋予人物雕塑一种悠远的历史氛围，使作品具有更强的纪念性和永久性。两件大理石浮雕《美国第一部联邦宪法签名者》和《美国感恩节历史再现》——不仅在体量上雄伟壮观，更以细腻生动的艺术语言，形体的真实与情感的深刻表达、表现手法的革新以及对光影和材质的独特运用。传递了深远的美学价值和文化意义。每件作品都以10尺高×20尺宽的宏大画面和丰富的历史情节重现了美国重要的历史瞬间，展示了艾伦赵琼独特的美学特质与艺术语言。

一、恢弘的历史叙事与群像塑造

艾伦赵琼的大型浮雕作品，极具史诗感的叙事和对群像的细腻刻画。她擅长在单一画面中展现多达三四十个人物的复杂场景，通过动感姿态和情感的交织，重现美国历史的关键时刻。在《华盛顿率军横渡特拉华河》中，艾伦赵琼以华盛顿为中心，刻画了多层次的动态人物群像：士兵们在寒风凛冽的河面上奋力划桨，面容坚毅。同时展现出紧张与信念交织的情感。整个画面并未单纯追求历史场景的再现，而是通过人物表情的细腻处理，呈现出一种史诗般的氛围，突出了“挑战”和“胜利”的主题。这种多人物、复杂动态的表现手法极具视觉冲击力，仿佛让观众亲历了那场历史性的惊险。

而在《美国独立宣言签名者》中，艾伦赵琼通过对每一位历史先贤的个性化刻画，展现了他们不同的情感与身份特征。她以细腻的表现手法描绘了约翰·亚当斯、托马斯·杰斐逊、富兰克林等重要人物在签署文件时的坚定与庄重，同时又融入了场景中的对话、交流等微妙细节，使画面富有生机与人文气息。这种对群像雕塑的精准掌控，不仅体现了艺术家的技巧，更展现了她对历史深刻的理解与敬意。

二、材质的创新运用与质感表现

从泥稿到青铜和大理石是艾伦赵琼浮雕创作中的主要材质，每一种材质都被她赋予了独特的艺术生命力。在两件青铜浮雕中，艾伦赵琼充分利用青铜材质特有的厚重感和光泽，增强了作品的历史感与空间感。她常采用抛光和磨光结合的方式，使得表面既有细腻光滑的部分，又有粗糙质感的区域，从而形成对比，加强了视觉冲击力。这种对光影和材质的巧妙运用，赋予了艾伦的雕塑独特的美学语言。

《华盛顿率军横渡特拉华河》的表面处理尤为突出，人物和背景的光滑与粗糙质感形成鲜明对比，增强了视觉张力。例如，河水的流动以青铜光泽表现出微妙的动态感，而人物的衣物与肌肤则通过精细的纹理刻画呈现出厚重与质感。青铜浮雕中的高光部分在不同角度的光照下散发出温暖的金属光泽，仿佛让这些历史人物重新焕发生命，充满力量感。

而在两件大理石浮雕中，艾伦赵琼巧妙地利用了大理石的细腻肌理与柔和光感，赋予了作品温暖与庄严的气质。《美国第一部联邦宪法签名者》中，人物的表情、手部动作及衣纹细节通过大理石雕刻展现得极为生动，每一处纹理都仿佛在诉说这段历史的庄重与不凡。大理石材质的洁白和光滑赋予了作品一种纯粹的精神象征，传递出美国民主的崇高理想。

三、情感与精神的多层次表达

尽管艾伦赵琼的雕塑以写实主义为核心，但她并未拘泥于对现实的机械复制，而是在形式与细节中融入了艺术创造性，从而赋予雕塑更多的艺术感染力与思想深度。她的浮雕作品不仅是历史事件的视觉再现，更通过细腻的情感表达与深刻的精神探索，为观者带来强烈的情感共鸣。

在《美国感恩节历史再现》中，她通过人物的姿态与表情描绘了多元文化的融合。土著人与清教徒之间的互动既展现了彼此的友善，也隐含了历史的复杂性。画面中每个人物的情感各异，有的表现出感激与希望，有的充满了信任与真诚，这些情感细节通过浮雕的立体形式展现得淋漓尽致。

在《美国独立宣言签名者》中，艾伦赵琼将人物的情感表现提升到精神层面，每一个细节都展现了历史伟人的内心力量。例如，富兰克林紧握羽毛笔的姿态，表情坚毅，眼神中透露出他对未来的信心;身后的其他代表则以不同的肢体语言传递着内心的激动与责任感。这种多层次的情感表达，使得作品不仅具备视觉震撼力，更能引发观众的思想与情感共鸣。

四、光影与构图的戏剧化表现

艾伦赵琼在大型浮雕创作中极为注重光影和构图的戏剧性运用，使作品在视觉和情感表达上更加富有张力。

在《华盛顿率军横渡特拉华河》中，她采用了对角线立体构图效果，将船只、人物和河水的动态巧妙结合。人物的动态设计与船体的斜线形成呼应，使整个画面充满动感与张力。

同时，浮雕表面的光影变化增强了画面的层次感，特别是士兵手臂肌肉和水波纹理处的明暗对比，赋予作品一种戏剧化的效果，仿佛让历史的瞬间凝固于观者眼前。

同样，在《美国第一部联邦宪法签名者》中，艾伦赵琼利用集中式构图，突出会议桌的核心位置，以强调历史决策的庄严与权威。人物分布形成视觉上的环绕效果，中心人物的光影处理尤为突出，使整个画面既严谨又生动。

五、跨文化视角与艺术创新

作为一位美籍华裔艺术家，艾伦赵琼的作品融合了东西方文化的美学特质。这种跨文化视角为她的作品注入了更加多元的艺术表现力。包括中华民国总统孙中山的圆雕铜像，青年周恩来留日游岚山铜像，美国著名女作家赛珍珠半身铜像，中国建筑学家林徽因和梁思成的双人铜像等。她的这些写实人物雕塑都有着对人物本质的精准捕捉和生动表现。她能够通过细腻的刻画展现出人物性格、情感与身份的多重维度。

艾伦赵琼在雕塑中强调“和而不同”的理念，例如在《美国感恩节历史再现》中，不同文化背景的人物以相互尊重的姿态出现，这种对多元文化的包容体现了她对人类命运共同体的理解。同时，受中国传统雕塑艺术中“线条流动美”的启发，她在浮雕中加入了更加流畅的动态表现，使作品兼具东方的优雅与西方的力量感。

艾伦赵琼的大型历史浮雕以其恢弘的叙事、细腻的情感表现、多样的材质运用以及深刻的精神内涵，重新定义了当代公共艺术的高度。这些浮雕作品不仅再现了美国历史的重要瞬间，更通过跨文化的视角与创新的美学语言，为雕塑艺术注入了新的活力。艾伦赵琼以其艺术成就向世界证明了雕塑艺术在历史叙事与人文精神表达中的独特价值，其作品将作为时代的艺术丰碑，继续激励后人探索历史与艺术的深刻关系。

Analyzing the unique aesthetic characteristics and artistic language of the giant historical reliefs of the famous artist Ellen Qiongzhao

William F. Schicktanz

As a contemporary internationally renowned oil painting and sculpture artist, Ellen Qiongzhao is famous for her deep understanding of American history and unique artistic expression in her large-scale high relief works. Her works contain a profound cross-cultural perspective and humanistic care. She is good at showing the spiritual core of different cultural histories and common human emotions through the shaping of characters. The four giant high relief works she created – two bronze “Washington Leading the Army Across the Delaware River” and “Signers of the American Declaration of Independence”, the heavy texture of the bronze material gives the character sculptures a distant historical atmosphere, making the works more commemorative and permanent. The two marble reliefs “Signers of the First Federal Constitution of the United States” and “Reappearance of American Thanksgiving History” – are not only magnificent in size, but also delicate and vivid artistic language, the true expression of the shape and the profound expression of emotion, the innovation of expression techniques, and the unique use of light and shadow and materials. It conveys profound aesthetic value and cultural significance. Each work reproduces important historical moments in the United States with a grand picture of 10 feet high and 20 feet wide and rich historical plots, showing Ellen Qiongzhao’s haounique aesthetic characteristics and artistic language.

1. Grand historical narrative and group portrait creation

Ellen Qiongzhao’s large-scale relief works have epic narratives and delicate portrayals of group portraits. She is good at showing complex scenes with up to thirty or forty characters in a single picture, recreating key moments in American history through the interweaving of dynamic gestures and emotions. In “Washington Leads the Army Across the Delaware River”, Allen Qiongzhao’s portrays a multi-level dynamic group of characters with Washington as the center: the soldiers paddled hard on the cold and windy river, with firm faces. At the same time, it shows the emotions of tension and faith. The whole picture does not simply pursue the reproduction of historical scenes, but presents an epic atmosphere through the delicate treatment of the characters’ expressions, highlighting the themes of “challenge” and “victory”. This multi-character, complex and dynamic expression method is extremely visually impactful, as if the audience has personally experienced that historic thrill.

In “Signers of the American Declaration of Independence”, Ellen Qiongzhao shows their different emotions and identity characteristics through the personalized portrayal of each historical sage. She used delicate expression methods to depict the firmness and solemnity of important figures such as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Franklin when signing documents, while incorporating subtle details such as dialogue and communication in the scene, making the picture full of vitality and humanistic atmosphere. This precise control of group sculptures not only reflects the artist’s skills, but also shows her profound understanding and respect for history.

2. Innovative use of materials and texture expression

From clay drafts to bronze and marble are the main materials in Ellen Qiongzhao’s relief creation, and each material is endowed with unique artistic vitality by her. In the two bronze reliefs, Ellen Qiongzhao made full use of the unique heaviness and luster of bronze materials to enhance the historical and spatial sense of the works. She often uses a combination of polishing and grinding to create a surface with both smooth and rough areas, thus creating a contrast and enhancing the visual impact. This clever use of light and shadow and materials gives Ellen’s sculptures a unique aesthetic language.

The surface treatment of “Washington Leading His Army Across the Delaware River” is particularly prominent, with a sharp contrast between the smooth and rough textures of the characters and the background, which enhances the visual tension. For example, the flow of the river shows a subtle sense of dynamics with its bronze luster, while the clothes and skin of the characters show a sense of heaviness and texture through fine texture depiction. The highlights in the bronze relief emit a warm metallic luster under light from different angles, as if these historical figures are rejuvenated and full of power.

In the two marble reliefs, Ellen Qiongzhao cleverly used the delicate texture and soft light of marble to give the works a warm and solemn temperament. In “Signers of the First Federal Constitution of the United States”, the expressions, hand movements and clothing details of the characters are extremely vivid through marble carvings, and every texture seems to tell the solemnity and extraordinaryness of this period of history. The whiteness and smoothness of the marble give the work a pure spiritual symbol, conveying the lofty ideals of American democracy.

3. Multi-level expression of emotions and spirit

Although Ellen Qiongzhao’s sculptures are based on realism, she is not confined to the mechanical reproduction of reality, but incorporates artistic creativity in form and details, thus giving the sculptures more artistic appeal and ideological depth. Her relief works are not only a visual reproduction of historical events, but also bring strong emotional resonance to the viewer through delicate emotional expression and profound spiritual exploration.

In “American Thanksgiving Historical Reappearance”, she depicts the integration of multiple cultures through the postures and expressions of the characters. The interaction between the indigenous people and the Puritans not only shows the friendliness of each other, but also implies the complexity of history. The emotions of each character in the picture are different, some show gratitude and hope, and some are full of trust and sincerity. These emotional details are vividly displayed through the three-dimensional form of relief.

In “Signers of the American Declaration of Independence”, Ellen Qiongzhao elevates the emotional expression of the characters to the spiritual level, and every detail shows the inner strength of the great historical figures. For example, Franklin’s posture of holding the feather pen tightly, his expression is firm, and his eyes reveal his confidence in the future; the other representatives behind him convey their inner excitement and sense of responsibility with different body languages. This multi-level emotional expression makes the work not only visually shocking, but also arouses the audience’s thoughts and emotional resonance.

4. Dramatic expression of light and shadow and composition

Ellen Qiongzhao pays great attention to the dramatic use of light and shadow and composition in the creation of large-scale reliefs, making the works more tense in visual and emotional expression.

In “Washington Leads the Army Across the Delaware River”, she uses a diagonal three-dimensional composition effect to cleverly combine the dynamics of ships, characters and river water. The dynamic design of the characters echoes the oblique lines of the hull, making the whole picture full of dynamics and tension. At the same time, the changes in light and shadow on the surface of the relief enhance the layering of the picture, especially the light and dark contrast between the muscles of the soldiers’ arms and the texture of the water waves, giving the work a dramatic effect, as if to freeze the moment of history in front of the viewer.

Similarly, in “The Signers of the First Federal Constitution of the United States”, Ellen Qiongzhao uses a centralized composition to highlight the core position of the conference table to emphasize the solemnity and authority of historical decision-making. The distribution of characters forms a visual surround effect, and the light and shadow treatment of the central character is particularly prominent, making the whole picture both rigorous and vivid.

5. Cross-cultural perspective and artistic innovation

As a Chinese-American artist, Ellen Qiongzhao’s works integrate the aesthetic characteristics of Eastern and Western cultures. This cross-cultural perspective injects more diverse artistic expression into her works. Including the round sculpture of Sun Yat-sen, President of the Republic of China, the bronze statue of young Zhou Enlai visiting Arashiyama in Japan, the bronze bust of Pearl S. Buck, a famous American female writer, and the double bronze statues of Chinese architects Lin Huiyin and Liang Sicheng. These realistic character sculptures of hers have an accurate capture and vivid expression of the essence of the characters. She can show the multiple dimensions of character, emotion and identity through delicate portrayal.

Ellen Qiongzhao emphasizes the concept of “harmony in diversity” in her sculptures. For example, in “American Thanksgiving Historical Reappearance”, people from different cultural backgrounds appear in a mutually respectful manner. This tolerance of multiculturalism reflects her understanding of a community with a shared future for mankind. At the same time, inspired by the “flowing beauty of lines” in traditional Chinese sculpture art, she added more fluent dynamic expressions to the reliefs, making the works have both oriental elegance and western power.

Ellen Qiongzhao’s large-scale historical reliefs redefine the height of contemporary public art with their grand narratives, delicate emotional expressions, diverse material applications and profound spiritual connotations. These relief works not only reproduce important moments in American history, but also inject new vitality into sculpture art through cross-cultural perspectives and innovative aesthetic languages. Ellen Qiongzhao has proved to the world the unique value of sculpture art in historical narratives and humanistic spirit expressions with her artistic achievements. Her works will serve as artistic monuments of the times and continue to inspire future generations to explore the profound relationship between history and art.

Artist Biography & Facts ： Qiongzhao Ellen. Schicktanz

Qiongzhao Ellen. Schicktanz is a Chinese-American artist (oil painting, sculpture), PhD in literature and art history, an international senior art curator, the director of the Goddess Art Museum in the United States, the vice chairperson of the Rodin International Artists Foundation, and the chairperson of World Alliance of Asian Women. From 1988 to the present, her oil paintings and sculptures have been collected by many international institutions or used as urban public art landscapes. The main collection institutions include the Fuji Art Museum of Japan, Museum of the American Revolution (Museum of the American Independence War), the National Constitution Center of the United States, the Museum of the Washington Crossing Historic Park, the Chinese American Museum, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, etc.

Won the Fuji Art Award twice in 1992 and 2002. In 2018, she was awarded the Ellis Island Medals of Honor at the 32nd Ellis Island National Outstanding Immigrant Award. In 2021, she was awarded the highest award of the 43rd New York International Art Expo [Art Excellence Award], and in 2023，she was awarded the 45th New York International Art Expo [World Arts Leadership Award]. In 2022，she was awarded the [Chinese Cultural Heritage Award] by the Chinese American Congress, and in December 2023, she was awarded the [Global Leadership Award] by Maurice Raymond Greenberg of the United States. In March 2024, she attended the United Nations Women’s Conference (New York) and gave a speech [Promoting social awareness and building a fair environment for entrepreneurial women], and was awarded the [Outstanding Achievement Award in World Culture and Art]. In September 2024, she attended the Art Forum of the Japan International Metaverse Conference and was awarded the International Avant-garde Art Leadership Award. In October 2024, she attended the United Nations Human Rights Council (Geneva) and spoke on behalf of the Rodin International Artists Foundation, calling on artists around the world to pay attention to and care for autistic children, so that the colors of art can heal children’s hearts and growth.

Qiongzhao Ellen. Schicktanz is a contemporary internationally renowned sculptor known in the art worlds of Europe, America and Asia for her profound understanding of American history and unique artistic expression. Her four giant historical high reliefs – two bronze reliefs “Washington Leading the Army Across the Delaware River” and “Signers of the American Declaration of Independence”, and two marble reliefs “Signatures of the First Federal Constitution of the United States” and “Reproduction of the Historical Scene of American Thanksgiving” – are not only magnificent in size, but also convey profound aesthetic value and cultural significance with delicate and vivid artistic language, profound expression of the reality of the form and emotion, innovative expression techniques, and unique use of light and shadow and materials. Each work reproduces important moments in American history with a grand picture of 10 feet by 20 feet and rich historical plots, showing Ellen Schicktanz’s unique aesthetic characteristics and artistic language.

艾伦赵琼简介（Qiongzhao Ellen. Schicktanz）

艾伦赵琼，著名美籍华裔艺术家(油画、雕塑)，文学美术史博士，国际资深艺术策展人，美国女神艺术博物馆馆长，罗丹国际艺术家基金会副主席，世界亚裔女性联盟主席。她创作的油画和雕塑作品从1988年至今先后被国际诸多机构收藏或作为城市公共艺术景观。其中主要收藏机构包括日本富士美术馆、美国革命历史博物馆(美国独立战争博物馆)、美国国家宪法中心，华盛顿渡河国家历史遗址公园、纽约联邦大厅国家纪念馆、美国华人华侨博物馆、宾夕法尼亚美术学院等。

1992年和2002年两次荣获[日本富士美术奖]。2018年荣获美国第32届爱丽丝岛国家杰出移民奖勋章[Ellis Island Medals of Honor]。2021年荣获第43届美国纽约国际艺术博览会最高奖[艺术卓越成就奖]，2023年荣获第45届纽约国际艺术博览会[世界艺术引领者奖]。2022年荣获美国华人大会[中华文化传承奖]，2023年12月荣获美国莫里斯.格林伯格[全球领袖奖]。2024年3月出席(纽约)联合国妇女大会发言[提升社会认知，构建创业女性公正环境]，并荣获[世界文化艺术杰出成就奖]。2024年9月在东京早稻田大学国际会馆出席日本国际元宇宙大会艺术论坛，荣获国际前卫艺术领袖奖。2024年10月出席(日内瓦)联合国人权理事会大会，代表罗丹国际艺术家基金会发言，呼吁全球艺术家关注关爱自闭症儿童，让艺术的色彩疗愈孩子们的心灵和成长。2025年出席第69届联合国妇女大会并主办平行论坛“关注女性的力量，关爱自闭症儿童及【爱与希望]与大师同行国际艺术特展”。

艾伦赵琼做为当代国际知名油画雕塑家，以其对美国历史的深刻理解和独特的艺术表现力享誉国际艺术界。她创作的四件巨型历史高浮雕–两件青铜浮雕《华盛顿率军横渡特拉华河》和《美国独立宣言签名者》，两件大理石浮雕《美国第一部联邦宪法签名者》和《美国感恩节历史场景再现》。每幅作品都以10英尺乘20英尺的宏大画面和丰富的历史情节再现了美国历史上的重要时刻。艾伦赵琼以其恢弘的叙事、细腻的情感表现、多样的材质运用以及深刻的精神内涵，重新定义了当代公共艺术的高度。这些浮雕作品不仅再现了美国历史的重要瞬间，更通过跨文化的视角与创新的美学语言，为雕塑艺术注入了新的活力。

艾伦赵琼以其卓越艺术成就向世界证明了雕塑艺术在历史叙事与人文精神表达中的独特价值，其作品将作为时代的艺术丰碑，继续激励后人探索历史与艺术的深刻关系。