REALIST SCULPTURE IN CHINA - DISCOVERY AND FORMATION OF ART METHOD

Abstract

Chinese sculpture has a long history and is a world-renowned art treasure and cultural heritage. With the changes in the global political structure and China's internal social system in the past two hundred years, they have directly affected the development direction of Chinese sculpture. The traditional Chinese sculpture system has gradually weakened. In line with the trend of 'learning from the West' at the end of the Qing Dynasty, students, policymakers, and practitioners of sculpture-related industries began to reach a tacit agreement, with many factors contributing to a new choice for Chinese sculpture, which had long been closed to the outside world and self-development. During the Republic of China period, the popularization of Western theories of sculpture and the cultivation of Westernized talents made Chinese sculpture present the budding trend of realism in this period. These include the enlightenment of European sculpture, the establishment of art schools and the self-cultivation of talents, and the staged upsurge of studying abroad. This article explores the origin and development of realism art in China by describing the history of modern Chinese sculpture art in the context of a specific historical period from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. Of course, Chinese realism has its special presentation and historical significance. There is no necessary connection between the birth of realism consciousness and the germination of Chinese realist sculpture. The realist sculpture from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China was the natural choice of artists who learned from the West and met the needs of society. Therefore, this article will not cover a broader discussion of the origins of realism.