A Comparative Study on the Aesthetics of Grey Tones in Morandi’s Paintings and Suzhou Gardens from a Cross-Cultural Perspective

Abstract

This paper uses “grey tone aesthetics” as the core thread to explore the intrinsic connection between the 20th-century Italian painter Giorgio Morandi’s works and Suzhou Gardens in terms of their grey tone color systems and cultural contexts. By comparing the low-saturation tones in Morandi’s paintings with the “pursuit of elegance and avoidance of vulgarity” in the color composition of Suzhou Gardens, the study reveals their resonance in aesthetic concepts and values. The analysis shows that “grey tone aesthetics” can serve as a bridge for cross-temporal and cross-regional communication between East and West, providing new ideas and practical value for contemporary cross-cultural aesthetic research.