中国绘画与西方绘画各自涵盖的内容均十分广泛。本书的写作目的就是透过中国传统绘画与西方绘画的对比，帮助大家更好地了解中国绘画以及中国绘画背后所蕴含的文化内涵。限于篇幅，本书将比较的范围限定在19世纪及以前的中国传统绘画与欧洲绘画。

西方绘画与中国传统绘画最根本的区别在于聚焦透视与散点透视，本书就以中国人的散点透视法，将两种绘画进行散点式的对比。

Preface

Chapter I: The Expression of Individualities and Psychological Self Comfort

——The Comparison of Historical Roles between Chinese and Western Paintings.

The Carrier for Records of Human Events in Early Times - Rock and Cave Paintings

Pottery Decoration and Decorations on Other Wares

Paintings with Religious Themes

Western Paintings from the Altar to a Man's World

Chinese Paintings of Propaganda, Education and Sympathy

Chapter II The Directness of the Hunting Style and the Restraint of the Farming Style

——A Comparison of Emotions between Chinese and Western Paintings.

Directness and Restraint

Sense and Sensibility

Objective and Subjective

Restriction and Opening

Chapter III Express in a Flat Way and Place Feelings on the Landscape

——A Comparison of the Tendency in Themes between Chinese and Western Paintings

Different Expressive Ways on Same Themes

Narrative and Landscape Paintings

Chapter IV: Colours and Inks

——A Comparison of Colour Concepts and Usage between Chinese and Western Paintings

Colours and Inks in Landscapes

Colour Taboos in Painting

Five-colour Inks

Chapter V: Rich-colour Painting and Light Water-ink Painting

——Arison of Skills between Chinese and Western Paintings

Focus and Scattered-points Perspective

Surface and Line

Addition and Subtraction

Abstraction, Generalization and Representation

Parts and the Whole

Chapter Vl Dialectics between Motion and Rest

——Comparison of Representational Forms between Chinese and Western Paintinqs

Motion and Rest in Paintings

Motion and Rest in Representational Methods of Painting

Appendix: A Brief Introduction to Chinese and Western Painting Materials