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Abstract
Two landscapes from different cultures, Europe and China, that are both considered masterpieces are the focus of this study. To what extent are they each perceived as beautiful? Can the differences in aesthetic understanding tell us something about the respective cultures? Do the results have the potential to contribute to intercultural rapprochement between Europe and China? The possibility that these ideas can be fruitful for intercultural connections and understanding, and for a reevaluation of the interaction between humans and nature, will be considered and analyzed using the tools and theory of vitality semiotics (VS). To this end, its premises in philosophy and image science, art history, infant research, and neuroscience are first introduced before the two examples are analyzed. The latter is done with the methodological tools of formal aesthetics that was developed in German-speaking countries. It builds in relation to the initial questions based on the analysis of aesthetically and culturally relevant abstract forms. This approach is extended by affective, semiotically relevant aspects of VS that bring the question of an intercultural approach into focus.