Exploring the Recognition of Illustration Styles in Marine Culture – “The Case of Fishermen's Painting in East Zhejiang Province as an Example”

The Zhejiang East Fishermen's Painting is a unique form of artistic expression in the eastern part of Zhejiang Province, China. As part of intangible cultural heritage, this art form showcases the distinctive features of the local traditional maritime culture and holds potential cultural value. The style of Zhejiang East Fishermen's Painting typically features bold colors and delicate brushstrokes. The artworks primarily depict the daily lives of fishermen, marine scenes, worship of deities, and mythical legends, highlighting the significance of maritime culture to the local community. Fishermen’s paintings face the inherent dilemma between “tradition” and “innovation”. This study conducts preliminary cognitive research through three levels of cognitive progression: external perception, meaning cognition, and internal feelings. The aim is to explore the audience's preferences and assist creators in planning their works more effectively. The research focuses on understanding the perception of the style of fishermen's paintings. The research methods include case analysis of such artistic illustrations, questionnaire surveys, and MDS (multidimensional scaling) multiple regression analysis. Using cognitive communication theory, the study constructs nine categories of cognitive attributes related to painting styles. These attributes are classified into three creative cognitive models: “external appearance”, “meaning cognition”, and “internal feelings”. The analysis examines how these attributes are interpreted and understood in the readers’ cognition. Through the study of cognitive theory, the research establishes factors influencing audience preferences.