On Lin Fengmian's Artistic Painting Arts

Lin Fengmian, an artist who has made the greatest achievement in neoteric history of Chinese art and a most successful painter who syncretizes Chinese painting and that of the Western, sends enormous influence upon the development of Chinese art in neoteric and contemporary times. Lin Fengmian provides a successful way in the reformation of Chinese painting, gives numerous significant inspirations and experiences to artists in their artistic creation today, and at the same time supplies many effective and practical approaches to helping traditional Chinese painting walk into modern time.This paper focuses on Lin Fengmian's three periods of art development which includes the period of academism, the period of expressionism and the period of unique style, and tries to study his painting arts in syncretizing Chinese painting and that of the Western. Specific analyses of Lin Fengmian's painting works are given according to the time order and these analyses can better our understanding about the transformation process of his artistic styles.Why does Lin Fengmian transform his academism painting style in the initiate stage to expressionism similar to the Western painting? Why does he finally orient his painting by eastern imagist expressionism and walk on the way of syncretizing Chinese painting and that of the Western?The paper first explores the origin of Lin Fengmian's syncretizing Chinese painting and that of the Western painting thought, thengeneralizes three main reasons that lead to Lin's choice. The three main reasons are in the following: supervisor Yang Xisi's directions, influence of Cai Yuanpei's artistic thoughts and Lin's own study and research of both Western and Chinese arts.Then, elaborate discussion is given to the way how Lin carries out his artistic thought of syncretizing Chinese painting and that of the Western. Later,the paper points out that syncretizing means combination of modern Western arts and Chinese folk arts with strong plasticity. Moreover, special emphasis is given to the major artistic characters of Lin's works and his achievement in exploring artistic forms after he walks on the way of syncretizing Chinese painting and that of the Western.Finally, the paper makes deep analysis of practical significance in syncretizing Chinese painting and that of the Western .hi this part, the author reiterates the importance of taking Lin Fengmian's syncretizing way with Chinese painting as the leading one and considers this the only correct attitude towards Western arts as well as the correct approach to developing the traditional Chinese painting into modern time.