Abstract
The 20th century witnessed an important historical process of the internationalization of Western modernism. In the early years of the Republic, Chinese society was in a passive state, accepting the strong influences from Western trends. At this time, the Chinese art circle was heavily influenced by the May 4th Movement and the western modernism introduced by returning artists who studied in Japan. The desire to turn this passive acceptance into active participation prompted the first generation of Chinese artists to study western art in France. They went to Paris to study art with the idealistic mission of "saving the country through art". Against this historical background, Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) went to Paris to acquire new knowledge through the “Diligent Work-Frugal Study” work-study program. During his time in Paris, he was exposed to Nouveau Art and German Expressionism. After returning to China, Lin Fengmian searched for ideas of rationalization in Western painting. He concluded that democracy was the internal driving force and he recognized the need to take initiative. Based on the standpoint of self-independence, he explored a new direction of blending Chinese and Western arts in search of the new look of "New Chinese Art".This thesis studies the romantic sentiments and modern consciousness in Lin Fengmian's works. It will start by outlining Lin Fengmian 's historical background and the influence of Western modern art acquired in Europe had on him. The author explores how the romantic trend of thought was formed under the consciousness of nationalism in the painting circle in the early Republic of China. Firstly, the essay examines how this consciousness affected Lin Fengmian's construction of an ideal society, and then analyzes his choice between the ideal society and the actual society, so as to analyze the expression of romantic sentiments behind his works. Secondly, this essay illustrates how Lin Fengmian reformed and integrated different aspects of traditional Chinese art and modern Western art in this cross-cultural movement against the background of the integration of East and West. It then analyzes how Lin used the formal language of painting: "sketching and creation" , "line and shape", "ink and color" to make breakthroughs and explorations in these three aspects, showing the modern ideology in his works.
| Date of Award | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Original language | Chinese (Traditional) |
| Supervisor | Ya-Lun Wang (Supervisor) |