The evolution of theChinese painting genre "Zhen-wu" in the XXth century

Abstract

This article examines the development of Chinese figurative Zhen-wu painting in the 20th century, its transformation under the influence of both external factors and internal cultural and political changes. The object of the study is the painting of the Zhen-wu of the 20th century. Zhen-wu is one of the oldest genres of Chinese painting, which has undergone significant changes due to the reforms, cultural movements and political events of the 20th century. The subject of the study is the evolutionary processes that took place with Zhen-wu painting in China in the twentieth century. This study identifies three stages: from 1900 to 1949, from 1949 to 1978, and from 1978 to 2000. The revolution in the country and art led to the fact that the Zhen-wu genre expanded its visual and content framework, integrating elements of Western realism and modernism. Since the beginning of the century, artists have explored new forms and methods, combining Western styles and techniques with Chinese traditions, which allowed the genre to gain a unique identity connecting the past and the present. In the second half of the century, figurative painting in China acquired a social orientation, especially within the framework of socialist realism, when workers and peasants became the main characters of the works. Realism also began to play an important role in the depiction of human figures. At the end of the 20th century, thanks to the policy of reforms, the genre of Zhen-wu again became more diverse and free from ideological restrictions. As a result, Zhen-wu was enriched with elements of Western painting, such as chiaroscuro, volume, linear composition, realism and became more pronounced in terms of psychologism. Thus, the study of the Zhen-wu genre century allows a deeper understanding of how China's cultural heritage.