The Research Of Western Painting Movement In Shanghai1913-1937

The Western Painting Movement in Shanghai, which is usually regarded as the new culture movement in the20th century Chinese art history, is an important portrayal of the transition from the ancient society to modern world and reformation in art history. Using the historical background as the point of penetration, this thesis makes an attempt to take a deep insight into the historical vicissitude, developing trend and essentials at different stages of this movement. In addition, it proposes to discuss the cause of the movement and the reason why Shanghai eventually become the central of the Chinese West Painting Movement. It also reveals the historical trajectory and key influencing factors of this process. According to the characteristics of the separate developing stages of the Western Painting Movement in Shanghai, this thesis carry out discussions on four stages, namely its eve, incipient phase, rapid emerging and modernization of the movement.In the introduction part of the thesis, we briefly investigate the existing research on Western Painting Movement in Shanghai, summarize the conceptual aspects as well as the main achievements related to our research topic and describe the origination, objective and significance of research work in this thesis.In chapter one of the thesis, we review the social and cultural background on the eve of Western Painting Movement in Shanghai. Focusing on the contributions of the western painting movement precursors, including Chen Shuren, Li Shutong, Zhou Xiang, Xu Yongqing, Zhang Yuguang, Ding Song, Wu Shiguang and Shen Bochen, we perform analyses of the characteristics of and various preparations made during the Western Painting Movement eve.Western painting education is an important premise to the development of the Western Painting Movement in Shanghai. Tu Hua Mei Shu Yuan (predecessor of Shanghai Art Academy) founded in1912is the place of origin for the western painting movement. It laid a foundation for the development of this movement at early stages. Thus, the founding of this school symbolized the start of the movement. By studying the competition mechanism, running pattern and contributions of the school, we discuss the significant breakthrough in western painting talent cultivation, social foundation of the movement, means of western painting theory propagation as well as the transition from sketching to painting from life in art creation, in order to reveal the impact of the movement on the running pattern of western painting schools.Under the background of the New Culture Movement and with the establishment of the Tian Ma Hui (Heavenly Horse Society) by the colleagues of Shanghai Art Academy, Western Painting Movement in Shanghai entered a rapid emerging stage. This chapter covers the historical period from1919to1929and focus on the three main streams of the western painting movement, namely the western painting society represented by Tian Ma Hui (Heavenly Horse Society) and Chen Guang Mei Shu Hui, private art schools which offered courses in western painting and the Initial National Exhibition of Chinese Art. This process has seen significant influence by the Cai Yuanpei aesthetic education ideology. We spot the breakthrough in western paint sketching, specifically the establishment of sketching using female body and the rich diversities in modern art school, which reveals the modernization and internationalization tendency of the movement.Chapter four provides an insight into the most active and sensitive stage of Western Painting Movement in Shanghai during the1930s. It focuses on the co-existence of various modern art school such as Yishu Yundong She (Art Movement Society), Juelanshe (Storm Society) and Zhonghua Duli Meishu Xiehui (Chinese Independent Art Association), the intensive debate between the realist and impressionist schools, and the emerging of the sparetime western painting education organization (Bai’e Huihua Buxi Xuexiao), which together result in the transition towards modern western painting movement. Although the battle of Songhu in1932had a short-term influence on the modernization process of the western paint movement, it did not negate the artistic ideals of the western painting creators. At the broke out of Anti-Japanese War in1937, the emphasis of the western painting movement began to drift and this the historical period of this movement eventually came to a halt under the culture island effect.