Analyzing the evolution of the artistic image of “Yang Yuhuan” from a feminist perspective through the lens of arts and cultural management

Abstract

Yang Yuhuan is a controversial consort from ancient China. From historical records to literary works and even contemporary film and television dramas, the image of Yang Yuhuan has been constantly reshaped. However, in the fields of stage drama and film and television works, there has been relatively limited scholarly research on her image, with even fewer touching on arts and cultural management. This paper adopts a feminist perspective to analyze the evolution of Yang Yuhuan’s image over different periods, taking her drama and film portrayals as the study subjects. The aim is to explore how, in the current societal context, one might enrich the image of Yang Yuhuan from the standpoint of arts management. Through this research, the author observes that the underlying representation of Yang Yuhuan is that of a beautiful and nation-damaging favored consort. Notably, such an image is not merely the result of personal choice but a collective product of power and knowledge. In recent years, China’s art market has seen abundant creative representations of Yang Yuhuan, but innovations concerning her image have been scant, largely adhering to its original mold. This does not align with contemporary societal and cultural norms and fails to meet audience demands. Therefore, to further diversify the image of Yang Yuhuan, creators should transcend her traditional objectified portrayal, emphasize the unique political aspects of her love story with Emperor Li Longji, reconsider the notion that “a woman can cause the downfall of a nation,” and collaboratively innovate her image through arts management.