Claudot In China(1926-1930)

In 1926,the French painter André Claudot(1892–1982)traveled from Paris to Beijing upon Lin Fengmian’s invitation to teach at the Department of Western Painting in the National Beijing Specialized Art School.He later joined Lin Fengmian at the West Lake National Academy of Arts in Hangzhou in 1928 and returned to France at the end of his contract in 1930.Drawing on newly accessible archival sources and surviving artworks,this thesis provides an overview of Claudot’s artistic and educational activities during his four-year sojourn in China.It explores the dynamics between Claudot,an “intruder,” and local artists,with an emphasis on their translingual and transmedial practices.My aim is to answer the reciprocal questions of“what China meant to Claudot” and “what Claudot meant to China.” By unearthing the story of yet another “missing figure” in the history of modern Chinese art,this study also sheds light on the history of art education and exhibition during the rise of left-wing culture,as well as case studies of Lin Fengmian,Qi Baishi,Li Keran,and others.