Rooted In Cotemporary, Love For Loess

"Realism", a term from the west, is a concept that continuously develops. In the first half of the 20th century, artists represented by Xu Beihong introduced the term into China. From that time on, it was not until the early 1960s that the realistic principles of painting were established, which were combined with traditional Chinese culture, showed in a large quantities of realistic works of the New China. At the beginning of the 21st century, the"Loess School of Painting"headed by Liu Wenxi was founded in shaanxi province. The spirit of the realistic creation on which the artists of the school insisted can be a prominent example. The realistic spirit in their works can be seen from the tenet of the school, namely familiarity with people, stringency of profiling, stress on brush and ink, and pursuit of innovation.This thesis is firstly to clarify the definition of realism and its formation and develop in the category of fine arts; secondly to discuss the combination of the essence of realism and traditional Chinese aesthetic viewpoints and painting tools, which leads to the new style of Chinese realistic paintings. Liu Wenxi, founder of the"Loess School of Painting", forms his special style of painting in the background of the merging of China and western countries which has influences a generation of painters, and founds the school based on the unique styles and features of Shaanxi and on the advantage of Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts in talented artists. This thesis discusses the development of realism, namely the past resplendence, the recent condition and the future prospects, through the realistic spirit of creation in the tenet of the school and the analysis of the works of Liu Wenxi and other artists."Loess School of Painting"comprehends and develops realism in its own way, emphasizing tradition, advocating innovation, and manifesting features, which broaden the field of aesthetics and space of creation for the realistic paintings. Besides, this thesis discusses the realistic spirit of the school and contemporary main values, drawing a conclusion that"Loess School of Painting"is of great significance for the development of realism in the contemporary.