《四元素》在十八世紀英國版畫市場是炙手可熱的題材之一，許多知名的版畫商都曾出版過此類型的版畫圖像；即使在十八世紀之前，這一題材也一直是許多藝術家嘗試創作的靈感來源。本文欲以十八世紀旅英的法國藝術家家梅西耶(Philip Mercier, 1689-1760)創作，由出版商羅伯特．賽耶(Robert Sayer, 1725-1794)於1760年出版，共四張一組的美柔丁（mezzotint）系列版畫作品《四元素》（The Elements, 1736-1775）為研究對象，追溯元素圖像形成與發展，並探問梅西耶以居家女性為題材，表現女性身著華服、姿態優雅的從事日常休憩、家事勞動的創作意圖。
本研究藉由分析元素圖像傳統的建立、梅西耶畫作中的女性角色表現與十八世紀英國版畫市場的建構，進一步解析藝術家為何選擇以「優雅做家事的女性」為主題繪製元素圖像，這些女性是以什麼角度被凝視與投射。此類描繪女性生活場景、家事勞動的「居家女性圖像」又如何呼應了十八世紀英國社會對特定女性階級的期望與想像？本文將由圖像分析與相關文獻研究切入，帶入文化史的考察，討論《四元素》系列版畫如何參與形塑十八世紀英國上層階級女性形象的再現。透過探究畫中女性形象的轉變，釐清這一系列的版畫作品如何呼應、對照十八世紀英國社會對特定女性角色的想望。
梅西耶元素圖像對家事勞動的優雅描繪，讓他的版畫作品成為了圖像版的行為指導手冊，畫作強調女性形象與家庭、居家場景的連結，點出家庭、居家生活對十八世紀女性的重要性與價值，展現「女性屬於家庭」的核心要旨。藝術家畫的不僅是心目中完美的女性形象，也是藝術圈與此時英國社會希望女人成為的樣子。

In Western visual culture, the philosophical idea of the four elements has long inspired artists from different periods and regions to represent it in various ways. It is also one of the most popular subjects in the British print market during the 18th century. French artist Philip Mercier (1689-1760), who was active in England in the 18th century, also created a series of four mezzotint prints under the title “The Elements”, which were a great success and widely circulated. What distinguished Mercier’s The Elements from other traditional element images, is his exquisite style of handling, as well as the way he juxtaposed “fancy ladies with domestic scene”, making them do mundane housework. This thesis intends to trace the formation and development of the images of elements and explores the intention of Mercier’s choice. Why did he use these domestic female subjects to illustrate the elements? How do these well-dressed upper-class ladies in housework reflect the actual situation of 18th century British women?
By mapping the establishment of the elemental image tradition, the representation of female characters in Messier's paintings, and the construction of the British print market in the 18th century, this thesis further analyzes why the artist chose the image of “elegant women doing housework” to embody the idea of the four elements. It also investigates from what angle these women are gazed. Based on image analysis and the investigation on the history of the idea of the four elements, this study also brings in the perspective of cultural history, to discuss how the series of prints such as The Elements participated in the shaping of the ideal female of the British upper class in the 18th century. By exploring the transformation of female images in the Mercier’s works, it is possible to clarify how this series of prints reflects the expectations of female role in the 18th century British society.
The elegant depiction of housework in Mercier’s The Elements makes his prints a pictorial version of conduct book. These prints emphasize the connection between female subjects and domestic scenes, visualizing the impact of family and domestic life on women in the eighteenth century. To Mercier and the contemporary British society, these female characters represent what they expect women to be: daughters, wives, mothers, and above all, women who belong to family.

誌謝…………………………………………………………………..i
中文摘要……………………………………………………………..ii
英文摘要……………………………………………...……………..iii
目錄…………………………………………………………………..v
緒論…………………………………………………………………..1
第一章 西方元素論與元素圖像的演進………………………....18
第一節 元素圖像的成因與多元表現……………………...19
第二節 元素圖像符號系統的生成………………………...25
第三節 十八世紀元素圖像的詮釋轉向…………………...28
第二章 梅西耶的女性主題與十八世紀英國版畫………………36
第一節 十八世紀版畫市場的熱門系列主題……………...36
第二節 梅西耶與其創作歷程……………………………...42
第三節 梅西耶作品中的女性角色表現…………………...48
第三章 居家女性圖像與英國社會的對話…………………..….56
第一節 《四元素》中的居家女性圖像表現……………….57
第二節 梅西耶畫中女性勞動的雙重面向………………...63
第三節 居家女性圖像所再現的「真實」………………...67
結論………………………………………………………………....77
圖版………………………………………………………………....81
參考書目與資料…………………………………………………..153

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