This article is from WeChat public account: ArtLex (ID: artguangzhou) , author: Pingjia An head FIG source: watercress Zh

Shanghai: Xu Zhimo is at war with Xu Beihong

On the Shanghai beach in the 1920s, the song and dance leveled up. The Ten Mile Ocean is full of modern talents, and various thoughts are flowing on this beachfront land.

As Michael Sullivan, a historian of art, wrote: “In Shanghai in the 1920s, cosmopolitanism was chic. Trendy men and women often named foreign languages ​​and wore foreign clothes; conversations and correspondence were mixed with English and French words and phrases are often referred to as ‘Mist’ (sir) and ‘蜜 丝’ (Ladies) or ‘Darling’ (Lyceum Theatre) is performing western dramas, and there is a weekly performance by Messett Percy (Maestro Paci) , an orchestra composed mostly of Belarusian and Jewish refugees performs symphony concerts. Indeed, Belarusians are everywhere, they do everything they can A career. When Chinese women are ashamed to be a model, they are models for art schools. “

Shanghai Bund in the 1920s

In 1921, Liu Haisu ’s Sparrow Art School was renamed the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts. The reason why he became famous was largely because of the use of mannequins in schools.Order wanted. After these experiences, Liu Haisu has always talked about it.

Human sketching in Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts Oil Painting Practice Room

In 1925, Xu Beihong returned to Shanghai to hold a solo exhibition while studying abroad. Since then, many people remember the artist’s name. Earlier, Xu Beihong, who was impoverished in Shanghai, almost plunged into the billowing water of the Huangpu River. In 1927, Xu Beihong returned to China for more than 8 years. At the end of this year, Cai Yuanpei hired him as the director of the Art Department of Nanjing Central University, but this position does not seem to match Xu Beihong’s study abroad experience and his existing reputation. A year later, Cai Yuanpei appointed Lin Fengmian as the head of the National Art Academy in Hangzhou. Lin Fengmian is younger than Xu Beihong, and stayed in France almost at the same time as Xu. In 1928, the post he held was obviously a bit higher than Xu Beihong.

Xu Beihong: “Tian Heng Five Hundred Shi”

Lin Fengmian’s choice of artistic path is very different from Xu Beihong. Xu Beihong followed the style of French classical conservatives, while Lin Fengmian chose modernism close to Matisse. In 1929, Xu Beihong criticized French modernist paintings for “poisonous dirt on his body”, translated Manet as “Manai”, and called it “mediocre”; Renoir was translated as “Le Nuo” , Call it “vulgar”; translate Cézanne as “church,” and call it “floating”; translate Matisse as “matti,” and call it “bad”- Impressionism , Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, etc.He was scolded all over.

Lin Fengmian: “Thinking”

Xu Zhimo couldn’t see, and started to argue with Xu Beihong. He said: “In the beginning of your writing, Beihong is calling out Cezanne or Cezanne. (Your translation is a cheeky admirer) and Matisse (Your translation is Matisse) ‘s work” Shameless “. Another Once you compared Cézanne to the ‘countryman’s latrine’, and compared it to your “Dahua Hotel” by Mr. Dayan, your respected master. At the end of your writing, you compare their evil influences to ‘goods’. Morphine sea greenery ‘; if in the future our art museum specializes in collecting works of their kind, but you personally will be exposed, and you do not want to see this despicable, dark and degenerate. Is this not too important, solemn and sorrowful? Sir? “

Xu Beihong did not reconcile with modernism all his life. In the future, he gained a high position. Modernism art has lost its space in China.

The Shanghai art scene in the 1920s did not have the brilliance of Paris, the impetus of New York, and the romance of Tokyo. Under the neon, there was serious reflection and exploration. Regardless of the journey westward or eastward, the returning artist is thinking about how to inject fresh elements into ancient Chinese art. Both the road of Xu Beihong and the road of Lin Fengmian all lead to the present and have profoundly influenced today’s Chinese art.

References

《Jensen Art History》

“Chinese Art and Artists in the 20th Century”

“Selected Works of Chinese Art in the Twentieth Century”

《Collection of Feng Zikai》

This article is from the WeChat public account: ArtLex (ID: artguangzhou) , Author: Fengjia An