In the educational and cultural services of national museums all over the world, there are often publications aimed at younger audiences or those who are more distant from art history. There are also tourist guides or itineraries which often become objects of memory (so-called merchandise), or proof that you have been there and are very interested in what you have learned. There are also catalogs of temporary exhibitions, or special edition books about the museum's milestones, or even editions of famous works that contribute to the identity and recognition of the museum where they are kept and displayed.

In addition to the information, mysteries or ambiguities that works of art contain and which constitute material that feeds general knowledge and activates curiosity, and their use in digital media, with the help of AI, and dissemination through social networks, these works of fine art give rise to books which are also considered objects that require the participation of the reader, activated by their architecture and the engineering of paper.

We know that the book, and its materiality was an old revolution, without much surprises nowadays for designers, publishers and bibliophiles. What could perhaps be a more important contribution would be to museology and the relationship to be consolidated in favor of this area of knowledge application with literary reading studies. As we read in the session summary for sub-theme 14, these are works, genres and formats that raise “important questions on the nature, practice, and relevance of comparison, and indeed of the notion of literature itself.”.

In this communication, we will use two examples of pop-up books about the São Vicente Panel, painted by Nuno Gonçalves around 500 years ago, a piece of art in the collection of the National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon that is most valuable because of the uncertainties of those portrayed (a crowd of 58 characters around a Saint), and we will compare them with two other books - one is mostly a fiction text about the Panels and the other one is non-fiction about the “surprising object” that is the printed book.

The book as a panel or a panel as a book, two artistic objects that merit an approach that we will only begin to address in this communication which in our perspective has promoted an encounter that can be replicated in other cases, beyond the strictly didactic and the “trivial pursuit” spirit that some pedagogical instruments propose. We will highlight the contribution of the book as an object to the reading of a panel enhanced by the skills activated in multimodal reading (in this case seeing, manipulating and understanding) that create a closer relationship between visitors and the museum.

Since the mid-20th century, scholars in the English-speaking world have explored the theme of image replacement in Xinmenhua (New Door Paintings), deconstructing the threefold subject of the Xinmenhua phenomenon as an artistic event: political power, the artist community, and the general public. They have also delved into two key spatial relationships. The first focuses on changes in wartime artistic patterns and the reconstruction of artistic sectors, particularly the differentiation and cooperation between the occupied zones, the Nationalist-controlled areas, and the liberated zones. The second examines the interaction between public space for wartime propaganda and the private spaces of people's lives. Through these layers of analysis, Western scholars have gradually unveiled the significance of Xinmenhua in the context of modern Chinese art history. This paper examines the unfolding of this narrative mode, combining image and text, and applies a perspective from the history of social thought to analyze the social influence and power of Xinmenhua, with particular attention to the deeper meaning of “image replacement.” It first discusses the mission of wartime art and Yan’an art, focusing on the social transformation efforts behind them and how cultural representation helped mobilize the Anti-Japanese National United Front. Furthermore, it distinguishes Ximenhua from traditional door god paintings by shifting from a wishful icon format to a more celebratory and participatory social expression. By analyzing several key Xinmenhua works, this paper reveals the transformation of the public’s mentality—from a focus on prayers to one of active participation in wartime celebrations and the changing form of social organization, from "small family" to the collective "big family." It also highlights the influence of traditional New Year prints on the posting style of Xinmenhua, particularly its placement on anti-Japanese households' doors, propagating ideas of “Anti-Japanese glory” and “Illustrious doorways,” while exploring the evolving functions of New Year prints: not only as tools for Anti-Japanese mobilization and decoration but also as symbols of recognition and social affirmation.

The academic community has already widely recognized the intermedia writing in the work The Unconsoled. This paper explores the relationship between the artistic philosophy and political justice conveyed by Kazuo Ishiguro in his intermedia writing. The small Central European city in the novel is plunged into an inexplicable crisis, and the citizens place high hopes on art, especially expecting the arrival of the protagonist, Ryder, to resolve this crisis. However, Ryder’s absurd experiences seem to confirm Plato’s view that art should be banished from the “Republic”. However, the exploration of various musical genres and art forms in the novel, along with its polyphonic writing and Kafkaesque experimental style, illustrates the close relationship between art and politics. The paradox of the use of art is shown in a humorous way, implying a contest between dependent art and autonomous art. The novel suggests that dependent art, represented by mass art, weakens the perceptual consciousness of the people. Commercial temptation and political manipulation lead people into a state of being unconsolable. Meanwhile, the people in crisis have already begun to develop a consciousness of change under the enlightenment of modern/postmodern music, experiencing painful metamorphosis, seeking the path to future freedom and happiness, and striving to build a just and good life.

The Goldfinch (2013), a classic work by the renowned American author Donna Tartt (1963-), took her over two decades to complete and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014. The novel weaves the famous painting The Goldfinch and the protagonist Theo's growth narrative into a central thread, presenting Theo's inner activities and ethical choices at each stage of his development through visual imagery. It also charts Theo's journey from initial confusion and hesitation following trauma towards eventual identity reconstruction and awakening. The paintings featured in the novel, including The Goldfinch, serve as important symbols. Other notable works mentioned include Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp and Frans Hals' Boy with a Skull. When Theo gazes at these paintings, they seem to gaze back at him. Unlike typical subject-object gazes, the paintings' gaze is non-specific and void, meaning it can be directed at anyone who views it. This creates an interactive dynamic where the viewer's gaze is guided by the painting, leading to a sense of equality between the artwork and the observer.

In the era dominated by visual culture, the concept of "gaze" has long been a topic of scholarly interest, often associated with dichotomies such as "self-other," "seeing-being seen," and "subject-object." Contemporary philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy (1940-2021) introduced the theory of "the gaze of the portrait," which extends traditional gaze theory. Nancy posits that portraits exist in three simultaneous states: resemblance, evocation, and gaze. This reveals that the gaze is a process where the subject actively emits and returns to itself through outward expansion, aiming not to emphasize an absolute dominant other but to facilitate self-understanding and reconstruction. Nancy's theory transcends the traditional subject-object dichotomy, achieving equality between subjects. Expanding from portraits to broader visual fields and even social contexts, Nancy's theory offers profound insights: the gaze is fundamentally a self-reflexive act, where the subject's visual attention expands outward and ultimately returns inward for self-examination and reconstruction.

The paintings in The Goldfinch, such as those viewed by Theo and his mother at the exhibition "Portraits and Still Lifes: Masterpieces of the Northern Golden Age," are all portraits. Works like Boy with a Skull and The Goldfinch significantly influence Theo's identity formation and growth experience. As a coming-of-age novel, why did Donna Tartt choose portraits as the ethical thread guiding Theo's life? How does Theo become entangled with these visual artworks throughout his growth? What impact do these visual works have on Theo's identity consciousness, leading him to achieve self-reconstruction and redemption after continuous struggle and hesitation? Portraits differ from other types of paintings in that their subjects possess autonomy. Painters endow them with the power to actively gaze at others, transforming them from passive objects into active participants. In the context of visual culture, this interaction between portraits and viewers often involves ethical issues, implying certain ethical premonitions and revealing relationships that influence ethical choices. These dynamics point to the era of visual ethics we face today. Visual ethics is not a fixed academic concept or rule but rather a reflection of the ethical issues, awareness, and behaviors involved in visual activities within a specific historical context, reshaping people's existing behavioral patterns. In the museum, the protagonist Theo directly appreciates the portrait paintings from the perspective of a tourist. Under the powerful visual impact of "viewing the paintings", it metaphorically implies a certain spiritual similarity and resonance between people and paintings, as well as the undercurrent of Theo's ethical dilemma that surges under this similarity. After the museum explosion, Theo, carrying the famous painting The Goldfinch, lived in multiple places, experiencing a period of wandering and instability: from the Barber family in New York to his father's home in Las Vegas and then to the Hobie family in New York. As a teenager, the radiance of the painting awakened his deepest and most hidden pursuit of self-identity and a sense of belonging, allowing him to make new choices and establish new ethical relationships. The misfortune of losing his mother at a young age and being left unattended led him astray, but in fact, Theo's inner self was always struggling. Every time Theo saw The Goldfinch again, he had different moods and thoughts. While he was "gazing" at The Goldfinch, the painting was also "gazing" at him. The gaze he sent out spread outward to the painting and eventually returned to the self-examination of himself - he was looking at the painting, but in fact, he was looking at himself. There was no dominant party between Theo and The Goldfinch. People and paintings were equal, and the gaze was mutual. It was through the "gaze" at the painting that he continuously re-recognized himself and pursued his self-identity, ultimately making the right ethical choices.

The reason why Donna Tartt chose "portraiture" as the ethical thread that accompanies and guides Theo throughout his life is that portraiture, with its "spiritual life", ultimately responds to the connection between the subject and the entire world. In the unique visual experience of "viewing a painting", it involves Theo's ethical consciousness and the ethical dilemmas he faces, which prompts him to re-examine and change his ethical behavior patterns. In the visual perception of painting, the similarity between the painting and Theo foreshadows the upcoming ethical dilemmas and life changes; further, Theo associates the elements in the painting with his own emotions and transforms this emotion into practice, thereby establishing new ethical relationships with others; ultimately, under the gaze of the painting, he conducts a profound reflection and examination of his past behavior, thus achieving the reshaping of his ethical self. Therefore, reading a painting is no longer a simple visual activity, but an active visual behavior filled with ethical implications, which not only influences Theo's personal will but also fundamentally alters his life trajectory. Through the similarity of the painting, the evocation of the painting, and the gaze of the painting, Theo gradually realizes the value of his spiritual life and gains the courage to face life's failures in the continuous practice and failure of his identity.

As Nancy said, "Portraiture makes death a work: it makes death a work in life, in the image, in the gaze."Although Fabritius' life ended in the Delft explosion, he captured the ordinariness and tenacity of life in the image of this yellow bird, allowing viewers thousands of years later to perceive it. Donna Tartt also uses the most delicate visual writing to juxtapose the lost, confused, and shattered despair of this young man with his yearning for love, belonging, and intimacy, outlining Theo's tortuous yet sincere inner journey. Portraiture, still life, and other visual artworks carry not only the art itself but also the spiritual resonance that spans thousands of years with the viewer, thus enabling this "young man with a skull" to awaken and examine himself in the constant struggle and wavering, ultimately achieving ethical redemption of himself, and allowing the self that was lost in the process of growth to be rediscovered, recognized, and given the power of life.

Based on these preliminary thoughts, this article, based on Nancy's theory of artistic gaze, intends to explore the process of the protagonist's identity search reflected in the visual ethics of "The Goldfinch", hoping to provide a new perspective for multi-faceted interpretation of the text.