A Meeting of Masterpieces: Icons of Modern Chinese Art

by Wu Xueshan

What does modern Chinese art look like？ This question cant be answered with any confidence yet. Due to the countrys vast territory， profound tradition， and diverse cultures， not to mention the deep influence of Western art over the past century， modern Chinese art is so varied and complicated that few can describe it with precise， convincing words. However， the exhibition named “Selected Masterpieces from Ten Art Museums in China，” held from January 19 to February 26， 2013， at the National Art Museum of China （NAMOC）， provided patrons an opportunity to truly understand modern Chinese art by seeing the best of it up close. Everything on display was created in the 20th Century and gathered from 10 art museums in eight cities. These cities， as well as their provinces， are birthplaces of various modern Chinese arts. The 10 art museums were all established after 1949. NAMOC is a national government-funded art collection institution， but the nine others are regional museums that focus on collecting and researching work from artists native to their respective regions. The exhibition is a rare opportunity to experience masterpieces from each museum in a single visit and to understand modern Chinese art in contexts of history， region， and culture.

In the first half of the 20th Century， a group of artists devoted to traditional Chinese painting gathered in Beijing and founded a painting genre that was later dubbed “Beijing school.” Of the group of artists， one of the most successful was Qi Baishi （1864-1957）. He spent the better part of his career as an artist in Beijing. Much of his work， including Chickens and Fishes（1926）， was collected by the Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy. In Chickens and Fishes， a shoal of fish swims downstream， catching attention from a flock of chickens on the bank. The painters subtle intentions are hidden in symbolism. Fish represent his desire for freedom， which are painted with a harmonious combination of spirit and form.

As the birthplace of modern Chinese politics， Guangdong Province is also one of the earliest regions to embrace Western modern art. The Guangdong Museum of Art is home to the modern painting Appreciating （1929）， which ironically depicts two patrons enjoying a fine art exhibition. Its painter， Huang Shaoqiang （1900-1942）， was a native of Guangdong and one of the earliest Chinese artists to be influenced by Western art. His work is injected with a strong sense of justice and responsibility. In Appreciating， the subjects are ordinary people， and the pieces they are viewing depict the struggles of ordinary people. It was commonplace for many Chinese artists of the 20th Century to see the world from perspectives of ordinary people.

The Guangdong Museum of Art is a major source of earlier modern Chinese art， of which one of the most beloved is The Night of Eastward Expedition by Liang Youming （1906-1984）. The painting was completed in 1939 during World War II， when the country was reeling from the Japanese invasion. In the painting， a warplane takes off to attack the enemy. Although it is primarily a traditional ink and wash， the paintings contrast between bright and dark colors appears to make it an early attempt to introduce European sketch painting. In fact， this represents one direction modernized traditional Chinese painting can go.

Jiangsu Province is considered a“headquarters” of traditional Chinese painting in contemporary times. Most of Jiangsu Provincial Art Museums collec- tion is traditional Chinese paintings from modern times， of which Four Arhats （1942） was the magnum opus of famous painter and calligrapher Lu Fengzi （1886-1959）.In the cartoonish painting， the artist used simple but bold lines to depict four arhats（enlightened Buddhists） with different gestures and facial expressions. He tried to express his attitude towards the countrys political situations at that time with mocking， anger， bitterness， and wrath embodied by each of the four arhats， respectively.

Although a native of Jiangxi Province， Fu Baoshi （1904-1965） spent the majority of his career in Nanjing， capital of Jiangsu Province， and most of his masterpieces were acquired by Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum. A Figure in Snow， a painting he completed in 1943， depicts an ancient literati sitting in his study while snowflakes float outside his window. Taking advantage of his deep understanding of traditional Chinese painting， Fu Baoshi developed an expressive technique called “Baoshi light-ink strokes.” In the painting， he used fluent and free strokes to depict trees and architecture， and splashed white pigment across the paper to form vivid snowflakes. The method is similar to the unique “drip and splash style” of American abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock. However， Fu employed the splashing technique 20 years earlier than Pollock.

Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum is also home to many masterpieces by Xu Beihong（1895-1953）， one of the most famous Chinese artists in the 20th Century. Xu was noted for his enormous accomplishments in oil painting， traditional Chinese painting， and fine arts education. He was particularly fond of drawing animals， especially cats. The cats in his work are always alert， with wide-open eyes， and Cat （1944） is no exception. His friend and protégé， Huang Yanghui， wrote of the painting： “Master Xus work features simple but graceful strokes， and this masterpiece is an ideal example for other artists to follow.”

Wild West （1946）， also normally displayed in Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum， was created by Wu Zuoren （1908-1997）， a student of Xu Beihong， when he first attempted traditional Chinese painting. In the 1940s， Wu trekked through Gansu， Qinghai， and Tibet to survey historic sites and the Tibetan lifestyle， which became frequent subjects in his paintings. Wu was expert at creating a sense of space. Wild West features only members of a Tibetan family walking. Except for people， cattle and a dog， the painting lacks any other subjects， evidencing the painters mastery of the “emptiness” concept of traditional Chinese painting.

Grazing in Autumn （1960） by famous painter Li Keran （1907-1989） is also housed in Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum. In the painting， two buffaloes lie in the foreground， while three children play with a cricket under grapevines. In his inscription on the painting， Li expressed that a painting cannot achieve perfection until the artist tries composing it over and over. After drawing the subjects many times， he still wasnt satisfied. “Perhaps I should try more，” he sighed. It is routine for modern artists to draw the same motif repeatedly. Li sharpened his painting techniques and expressive skills through drawing the same subject over and over.

The most valued pieces of Zhejiang Art Museums collection are the work of Huang Binhong （1865-1955）， the most influential landscape painter in contemporary China. His work features fluent and vivid strokes. Under his brush， mountains， rocks， and trees are deeply embellished， creating a sense of thickness and light. However， his bird-and-flower paintings offer a stark contrast. Ink gradually penetrates the paper and forms flower stems， leaves， and petals， creating simple but elegant charm.

The former Shanghai Art Museum（renamed China Art Museum， Shanghai， in 2012） primarily collects modern art. Pan Yuliang （1895-1977） was one of Chinas most legendary female artists. She studied art as a youth in France， and later retired in Paris. Flowers and Fruits （1960）， composed in France， depicts a vase of flowers and several fruits， common subjects of European still life. The paintings bright colors reveal influence from French postimpressionism and Fauvism， but its use of thin lines to outline the subjects testifies to its nature as a Chinese sketch painting.

A Lady Playing a Lute was created by Lin Fengmian （1900-1991） in the 1960s. Of 20th-Century Chinese artists， Lin was the first to advocate the “combination of Chinese and Western arts.” Ancient women were Lins favorite subjects， and he attempted to meld Chinese and Western arts through drawing them. In the painting， a graceful lady sits alone in the room， with a lute in her arms. The figure features fluent outlines and gentle， harmonious colors. The entire paintings composition appears simple but distinctive. Lin was one of theearliest artists to introduce Western formal aesthetics into traditional Chinese painting.

Influenced by Lin Fengmian， Wu Guanzhong （1919-2010）， another notable Chinese artist， paid great attention to form in his work. He didnt begin learning oil painting until he was middle-aged， and attempted to incorporate Western modern art language into traditional Chinese painting. His Old Chongqing （1997， collected in China Art Museum， Shanghai） is a great example. Dubbed the “mountain city，” Chongqings mountainous terrain is blanketed by buildings stretching up and down its steep terrain. In the painting， Wu perfectly combined traditional residences and the citys landform and created an imposing image with black lines and colored dots.

Zhang Jianjuns Where Do We Come From and Where Are We Going is heavily influenced by European subjects （especially Paul Gauguins Where Do We Come From？ What Are We？ Where Are We Going？） and artistic language （oil painting in the style of Giorgio Morandi）. However， thestory it tells is Chinese. Despite their evolution， every pottery piece depicted in the painting features shapes and patterns from ancient China. As a world-renowned birthplace of ceramics， China takes pride in its achievements in pottery and porcelain. The painter used the contrast between grey and brighter pottery to symbolize the countrys past and present， respectively.

NAMOC is Chinas top governmentfunded art collection institution. Part of its collection， Luo Zhonglis Father was one of Chinas best-known oil paintings during the 1980s. In the painting， a farmers head dominates almost the entire canvas， which measures 2.15 meters in length and 1.5 meters in width. Previously， only top leaders could be portrayed as such. The farmers wrinkled face and worn fingers hint at tremendous hardship he has endured， representing billions of impoverished Chinese peasants over the past millennia. At first， the painting evoked debate and criticism for the suffering it depicts. Later， the painter added a ball-point pen to the farmers headwear， making him an“educated farmer of modern times.”

Longing for Peace （1985， collected in

NAMOC）， co-created by Wang Xiangming and Jin Lili， is an oil painting meant to salute Western masterpieces. The work was completed in 1985 when Western modern art was just beginning to thrive in China. It depicts a young lady standing next to a huge painting combining a dozen European masterpieces， including Picassos Guernica， Manets The Execution of Emperor Maximilian， and Pierre Puvis de Chavanness Le Pigeon. In the 1980s， many Chinese artists were heavily sentimental， so they created art imbued with idealism.

The Central Academy of Fine Arts（CAFA） has a tradition of displaying graduation projects from its top students. Women Washing Hair （1980） is part of the “Tibet Series” Chen Danqing created as a graduation project for his Masters degree program at the academy. The painter depicted his impression of Tibet： By a street， a husband helps his wife wash her hair， while another woman combs her recently-washed hair. Although what it depicts is an ordinary scene from daily life， its realism exerted a far-reaching influence on the country that had just passed through the “cultural revolution” （1966-1976） period.

A Tranquil Town （1989） was created as graduate work by Su Xinping， when his style was just starting to mature. Shadows of buildings， people， horses， and telephone poles in a deserted， tranquil town are all interwoven， creating a cold， mysterious world.

Xu Bing is one of the most internationally famous contemporary Chinese artists. He is particularly known for installations， and A Big River （1988， in CAFA Art Museum） is one of his earliest works. At the time， he was focused on woodblock prints. After graduation， he stayed at CAFA as a teacher. In the painting， water， riverbanks， and paddy fields are all composed of dots and lines in diverse forms， creating a pure sense of beauty.

A major highlight of Guan Shanyue Art Museum in Shenzhen City， southern Chinas Guangdong Province， is its modern poster collection. One poster was designed by Yang Zhilin for the 1989 China AvantGarde Exhibition at NAMOC， which marked the dawn of avant-garde art in China. The poster added a sign reading“No Turning Back” to emphasize organizers attitudes： There is no return once an artist embarks on an avant-garde road. Chinese Graphic Design， a poster designed by Chen Shaohua for the 1992 graphic design exhibition， as shown on this issues front cover， is also housed in Guan Shanyue Art Museum. The creative poster features strong Chinese style， with two legs intertwined： one in a black Western-style pant and a leather shoe representing the Western origin of Chinese avant-garde art， and the other in a white pant decorated with patterns of traditional opera costumes and a colored shoe to symbolize traditional Chinese folk art.

Hubei Museum of Art collects work from the provinces native artists over the past century， as well as work with modern industrial themes. Red Machine （2002）， a litho- graphic print by Hubei artist Zhou Xianglin， depicts a worn Dongfanghong tractor. With exquisite technique， the lithographic print celebrates a time-honored machine that changed the world， but will eventually be lost in the river of time.

The exhibition “Selected Masterpieces from Ten Art Museums in China”traced the history of modern Chinese art through nearly 500 exhibits， which were displayed in 10 zones according to the museum to which they belong. Visitors often felt like they were leaping across regions and time when appreciating the varying art cultivated by different regions and cultures. Masterpieces from 10 different museums were gathered together， yet displayed separately. Such a model perfectly showcases the interconnection between tradition and modernity， region and culture， art and politics.