The influence of Shanghai Art societies on the development of fine arts in the early twentieth century

Abstract

The object of the article is the artistic life of Shanghai at the beginning of the 20th century, in which the most attention is paid to the study of the activities of art societies in order to scientifically reconstruct the creative process of Shanghai of the last century. The topic of the research is the contribution of the artistic associations to the cultural life of the city. Their activities are aimed at introducing European painting techniques and modernist trends into the visual culture of the country. The article attaches particular importance to the unique character of the city, tolerant and open to experiments in the field of visual culture. The paper describes three vectors of art development through the activities of art societies: upholding the foundations of traditional Chinese painting, the active inclusion of the European visual language and the synthesis of these two seemingly mutually exclusive streams. Using the historical method, the author analyzes the activities of art societies that significantly influenced the formation of a new scenario for the development of the visual culture of Shanghai in the first third of the 20th century. Firstly, at the beginning of the last century, this metropolis became the largest economic and cultural center of China. Secondly, most of the local artists who joined public organizations received Western education. Thirdly, the activities of art societies have significantly enriched and expanded the creative possibilities of the masters, attracted the attention of the population to the fine arts, and modernized the painting traditions of China. The author of the article comprehends the influence of Russian artists on the cultural life of Shanghai, and also focuses on the emergence and development of "female" art in Chinese culture during the period under study. This research has not only theoretical value, but also practical significance, and allow to determine the scenario of the development of Chinese fine art at the present stage.