Modern Chinese painting on military themes: "new realism" and loyalty to traditions

Abstract

In the contemporary art of China, a special role belongs to painting on a military theme. Its formation began in connection with the need to keep a visual chronicle of the revolutionary struggle for the New China, the assertion of its status in the eyes of the people. Initially, realism was chosen as the main artistic method. By the turn of the XX and XXI centuries, as a result of the influence of modern art trends, a "new realism" emerged. The subject of this article is the pictorial work of contemporary Chinese artists who dedicate their paintings to military subjects and themes. He pays special attention to the art criticism analysis of the formal and substantive side of the paintings of the late XX – early XXI centuries. The main conclusion of the study is the establishment of the fact that under the influence of the so-called "new realism" Chinese painting associated with images of war, army, navy, has changed in the direction of images relevant to the era, as well as methods and techniques of image construction. However, at the same time, it should be noted that there is still a connection with traditions, which allows us to characterize the process of evolution of the Chinese school of battle painting. The novelty of the article is the introduction to the scientific circulation of Russian art criticism of a series of paintings by Chinese masters devoted to military topics. In general, the battle genre in Chinese painting is associated in the work with the formation of the People's Republic of China and is considered in a political and socio-cultural context.