The influence of Western ideas of women's Enlightenment on women's painting in the Republic of China

Lyui Chao ORCID: 0000-0001-6401-9534 PhD in Cultural Studies Postgraduate student, Department of Cultural Studies and Socio-Cultural Activities, Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin 620083, Russia, Sverdlovskaya Oblast' oblast', g. Ekaterinburg, ul. Lenina, 51, of. 416 lvchaourfu@yandex.ru

Kemerova Tatiana Alexandrovna PhD in Philosophy Associate Professor, Department of Cultural Studies and Socio-Cultural Activities of the Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin 620083, Russia, Sverdlovskaya Oblast' oblast', g. Ekaterinburg, ul. Lenina, 51, of. 416 tanya.kemerova@mail.ru

A historical fact is the extremely rare appearance of female artists throughout the history of Chinese art. There are no relevant records and mentions in historical chronicles, research on women painters is extremely scarce. The appearance of the "new women's painting" during the Republic of China was an important historical stage in the awakening of women's consciousness and a new phenomenon in the history of art of the Republic of China. The liberation of women, their acquisition of the right to education, as well as the formation of a new system of communication in the artistic sphere gave the phenomenon of women's groups - masters of painting a special significance for the era and Chinese culture in general. The formation of the "new women's painting" in the Republic of China took place both under the influence of ideological currents of Western thought and objective processes of social transformation of traditional society in the process of its modernization.

The most significant works devoted to the problem of the development of women's painting of the period of the Republic of China are: "Lost History - the History of the art of Chinese women" edited by Tao Yongbai and Li Ti ^[1]. And "Women: Thoughts in the Visual Arts", edited by Xu Hong ^[2]. The second calls into question the method of compiling the traditional history of art from the point of view of modern feminism. At the same time, it should be noted that there is insufficient research on the topic raised. Thus, the analysis of the phenomenon of women artists did not take into account the aspect of the transformation of the ideological basis of the artists of the Republic of China and the individual language that expressed modern ideas in their paintings. Thus, the available research is insufficient in assessing the novelty and uniqueness of the new women's painting in the Republic of China, as well as the research value and historical significance of new women's paintings in the history of Chinese art. Studies of women's painting in the Republic of China should be carried out in a broad cultural context, from the standpoint of cultural studies, sociology, communication and other disciplines. An interdisciplinary approach will allow you to get a more complete understanding of the history of modern Chinese art.

The article examines the most famous of the new artists of the Republic of China, as well as their works. With the help of a literature review, an analysis of works of art and the method of comparative research, the novelty of women's painting was revealed, the interaction of creative traditions and their transformation were studied. Special attention is paid to the value and significance of the new women's painting in the study of the art history of the Republic of China. The artists of the Republic of China, studying Western painting, were able to creatively reform Chinese painting, break out of the shackles of outdated concepts, asserting the modern ideal of equal rights for women ^[3]. This topic will focus on the innovations of new women artists of the Republic of China both in paintings and in artistic concepts through a multi-faceted study of the Background of time. To identify the inherent features and patterns of development of new women's paintings of the period of the Republic of China.

Millennia of the dominance of feudal ideology in China, which asserted the superiority of men and the dependent position of women in society, was reflected in the fact that women artists remained on the periphery of the history of painting. Since the XIX century, China has been influenced by Western culture, its art and ideas have become widespread. The dawn of modern history is characterized by the acceleration of social processes and the increasing complexity of the social environment of the Republic of China. During this period  China was at an important stage of social transformation. The transformation of the social system was accompanied by profound changes in culture and art under the influence of a dialogue of different traditions and ideological trends. Women have become active participants in these processes. On the one hand, they, together with male artists, were adherents of innovative approaches to traditional painting, and on the other, they fought for women's rights in various fields, including art.

After the "Hundred Days" reform of 1898, new intellectuals, promoting political innovations, also attached great importance to the important role of women in social reforms. The enlightenment thought of the West became one of the factors of the liberation movement of Chinese women at the beginning of the XX century.  Under the guidance of the Western theory of human rights, they proposed to build the concept of "equality of men and women" and create a free and equal social public space.During this time, women artists of the Republic of China played an important role and influence that cannot be ignored. Spreading new women's ideas, and then changing the views of the public and women on feudal women in order to break out of the shackles of the feudal context. A group of artists with new ideas and concepts has appeared in the field of art. They became the embodiment of the ideological liberation of women and important participants in the transformation of traditional Chinese painting. In the clash of old and new concepts, in the interaction of Western and traditional Chinese painting, they tried and formed a new one - women's painting in the Republic of China.

Under the influence of Western thought, a new unique artistic style has emerged, created by women artists of the Republic of China. They got rid of the family context of the old feudal environment and actively joined the aesthetic space of modern society, as its significant subject. The artistic revolution has become the main theme of the art of the Republic of China. The new artists had to develop their own conceptual foundations and simultaneously solve the problem of the mutual influence of Chinese and Western painting. Through a special "feminine thinking" and self-awareness, they promoted the transformation of traditional painting on the one hand and the spread of new feminine ideas on the other.

Since the establishment of the Republic of China, artists, possessing new ideas, concepts and their own aesthetics, have become an important group that cannot be ignored in the study of Chinese art history. Let's list the most famous names: Pan Yuliang (1896-1977), Fan Junbi (1898-1986), Guan Zilang (1903-1958), Lu Xiaoman (1903-1965). ), Cai William (1904-1940), Qiu Di (1906-1958), Tang Yunyu (1906-1992) and other masters. During the period of the "Movement for a New Culture", new trends emerged in the artistic environment of the Republic of China, which were based on the concepts of "science", "progress", "creativity". Stable expressions:  "the new and the old", "realism and the "image of meaning" (Se-i style)", "art and science" were the focus of attention of many masters of painting. New artists also contributed to the "artistic revolution", taking their unique place in Chinese art ^[4]. Under the influence of Western enlightenment thought and realistic painting, there were corresponding stylistic changes in the work of new artists of the period of the Republic of China. Going beyond the feudal society, they became more diverse in choosing a theme, began to attach more importance to the creation of a sketch and the realism of the image. Female portraits have ceased to be limited to images with pronounced features of weakness, softness and other stable gender characteristics, as in the works of traditional painters.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, under the influence of Western ideological trends and the spread of contacts among students, new theories of human rights, art and feminism penetrated into China ^[5]. The Western concept of "equality between men and women" became the dominant idea of the women's liberation movement, asserting the principles of freedom and equality for women in the Republic of China. This changed the feudal worldview in the mass consciousness, abolishing blind obedience and suppression of the nature of Chinese women. The social struggle of women for their rights in politics, economics, and public life influenced the creation of paintings and the artistic perception of women painters.

A significant contribution to these processes was made by the spread of Western theoretical works. An example of this is Ma Junu, an outstanding translator of feminist texts of that time. He contributed to the widespread dissemination of the ideas of women's enlightenment that appeared in the West. Ma Junw translated books such as The Manifesto of Feminism (Olympe de Gouges, 1791) and The Theory of the Suppression of Women (John Stuart Mill, 1869). These works laid the theoretical foundation of the women's liberation movement in the Republic of China. At the same time, the spread and assimilation of Western art theories has significantly influenced women's creativity in China. The concepts of realism in painting, light and shadow, structure, color, form and perspective, were spread in China at the beginning of the XX century through books, foreign students and other contacts. The artists of this period shared the views of scientific rationalism, receiving Western art education ^[6]. The Western art of the beginning of the XX century, whether it was classicism or modernism, undoubtedly served as the basis for the revolutionary transformations of the creativity of the artists of the Republic of China. It abolished obsolete elements of tradition and contributed to the transition of modern women's painting into a new visual form.

The artists of the Republic of China were freed from traditional aesthetic standards and the old idea of female weakness. Under the influence of educational thought and the national women's liberation movement, the artists of the Republic of China have incorporated a new concept of the image of the female body, creative thinking and emotional self-expression of women in their paintings. Tao Yunbai wrote in the article "On the way to conscious female Painting" that "female painting" expresses a unique "female self-consciousness" ^[7]. He believes that the paintings created by the artists, thanks to the unique feminine way of perception and expression, endow the works with a unique sense of femininity, uniquely interpret the inner world and the life experience of a woman in spiritual, emotional and moral dimensions. This is called "female self-awareness". The new women's paintings of the Republic of China cover the artists' reflections on history, fate, their own values, as well as on the feelings and thinking of a woman, her aesthetic psychology. Thanks to this, an alternative to the male vision of the woman's world appeared, manifested in painting, the monopoly of male artists was limited. Intelligent women in the person of Pan Yuliang, Cai William, Sun Duoqi, Fan Junbi, etc. they linked their fate with the fate of the country and the nation and actively sought the comprehensive liberation of women.

In the process of creativity, the artists of the Republic of China included personal emotional experience in the depicted objects. From the point of view of the theme of painting, self-portrait, new female image and body image are the main expressions of the "female identity" of women artists of the Republic of China. The popularity of "self—portraits" is a sign of deepening individual self-perception, the basis of artistic reflection. A self-portrait is not only an artist's self-presentation, but also his "self-report", as well as the pictorial language of women artists, allowing them to express themselves, personal reflections, emotions ^[8]. The female subjective consciousness reflected in the works of art shows the process of transition of Chinese women from tradition to modernity. Thus, the self-portraits of the new artists of the Republic of China are undoubtedly an important symbol of the awakening of female identity in the Republic of China. Self-portrait is a spiritual image of the new artists of the Republic of China in search of their "I". Let's move on to the examples. Tsai William's self-portrait shows her aloofness, simplicity and serenity. Yin Shu said, "Looking at her two self-portraits, the color is calm, the brush is simple, the lines are so simple, and the structure is so solid. Both are images of the artist's heart of that time, and it is not easy to express it in paintings" ^[9]. Sun Duoqi's "Self-portrait" (Fig. 1) shows a solid foundation of oil painting realism: "using the three-dimensional perception of Western painting in ink and brushstrokes of Chinese painting, the structure is clear, but the spirit is ethereal, which is unique" ^[10]. "Self-portrait" from the "Collection of sketches of Sun Duochi", created in 1935, is the most characteristic work for her. In a jumpsuit, she is beautiful and gentle, especially sweet when she smiles.

Fig.1 Sun Duoqi.1935. Self-portrait. Canvas, oil.

In the painting, Sun Duochi's eyes seem to be able to see everything, and the palette and oil brushes in her hands indicate a commitment to realism. (Fig. 1.) The aesthetician Zong Baihua once praised: "Ms. Sun Duoqi is talented and intelligent, loves to study and considers art her life and soul. Therefore, she can write rhythmically, and it seems that genius is predetermined. Once she sees her eyes, she will be able to understand the interest. In between, you can appreciate her style without looking closely."^[10]

In creating portraits, the artists of the Republic of China not only followed Western realistic painting methods, but also developed new expressive means. From the point of view of the plot, they mainly use female figures as a theme and demonstrate their own artistic language. Technically, they combine realistic modeling rules with the language of color and line adopted in modernist painting, including elements of the Chinese national style. As a result, a special artistic style is formed, combining Chinese and Western elements. In the early period of the Republic of China, the most striking example of this is the works of Fan Junbi.  Their creative form has opened up new perspectives for the transformation of traditional painting. Her contribution to the history of Chinese art is no less than that of male artists of the same period, so she is also known as "The Outstanding Female Artist of the East." In the work - "Meditate with flowers", a student in a short coat and a long skirt seems to be sitting on the side with a chrysanthemum in her hand and elegantly thinking.

Fig. 2 Fan Junbi. 1924. A girl with a flute. Canvas, oil.73x59cm.

The female figure in "The Girl with the Flute" (Fig. 2.) organically combines new and old features. The image is presented in a traditional Chinese outfit, the girl is fashionably cut in a Western style, which is perceived as a symbol of the desire for Western science and culture, clearly manifested in the new era. The background of the painting is emphatically simple, highlighting the special position of the flute player. Looking at the picture, one gets the impression of movement in immobility, close to the concept of the Taoist attitude of "wu-wei" - non-action or "action without action", emphasizing the calm and noble temperament of the heroine. The artistic world of Fan Junbi's works is deep and contains the wealth of centuries-old Chinese culture ^[11]. At the same time, this world is not a frozen museum exposition, the heart of modernity beats in it, where native motifs and borrowed techniques converge in a complex interweaving, giving rise to the art of a new era.

Chinese artists of the early XX century considered portraiture, including self-portraits, as a way of artistic reflection, determining their own place in a rapidly changing world. John Berger once remarked: "Every image represents a way of seeing" ^[12]. Male artists often depict women's bodies as an object of attention, often from a position of appreciation. Female artists become not only an object, but also an active subject of the creative process. Their self-expression and self-report are the result of the study of the inner experience of their own being, its assessment and emotional experience. Striving to express the inner beauty of the soul through the beauty of the nude, Western artists paid great attention to the aesthetics of the human body. During the period of the Republic of China, when feudal thinking still retained its influence in society, the depiction of nudity was regarded as "hooligan", marginal ^[13]. The new artists of the Republic of China boldly changed this situation, depicting the beauty and naturalness of the female body.

The oil painting "Nude" by the artist Pan Yuliang, for the first time in the history of Chinese painting, received a gold medal at the Italian International Art Exhibition in 1927. Subsequently, Pan Yuliang became known as "the first person in Chinese impressionism." This experience had a noticeable impact on women's painting in the Republic of China, while at the same time contributing to a change in views on the role of women in society. The master's works demonstrate the development of creative thought in the dialogue of Chinese and Western art.

Fig. 3 Pan Yulyan. 1929. Reflection. Canvas, oil. 90?65 cm.

The canvas "Reflections" depicts a woman, naked, but not ashamed of her nakedness. (Fig. 3.) This painting in external realism carries a symbolic meaning, showing a true reflection of the artist's real emotions ^[14]. Pan Yuliang's paintings are characterized by expressionist color decoration and a flat composition of oriental style. From the point of view of color, it embodies the color concept of Fauvism, breaking the principles of realism. Pan Yuliang's mission is to integrate a borrowed aesthetic concept into traditional Chinese painting, creating original works. Pan Yuliang and other prominent artists of the Republic of China reflected the meaning of women's existence from a female point of view. In their paintings, they showed women free from moral shackles, challenging aesthetic standards under the domination of patriarchal culture, using the expressive language of the depicted body.  Emphasized sexual characteristics are inseparable from gender values. After getting acquainted with the painting by Pan Yuliang, Anne D'alleva noted that the history of feminist art would not have taken place without discussing how the artist's identity as a woman influenced her work or the influence of the prevailing gender ideology on her ^[15].

The new artists of the Republic of China were representatives of their time, its ideas and fashion. The masters and the characters they create show, live and act in their own historical context. Female aesthetics is used by artists to identify positive and healthy qualitative characteristics of their own sex, contributing to the formation of an ideal social environment of female discourse ^[16].

Female images created by new artists of the Republic of China can be divided into the following three types.

First, self-portraits are a "self-reporting" expression of new women's paintings in the Republic of China. Taking her own image as a carrier of expressiveness in pictorial creativity, she expounds her artistic concept and emotional expression in a specific social and cultural environment, thereby forming her own non-historical language. This is not only a manifestation of "self-awareness", but also the desire to comprehend the inner world of new artists ^[17]. One of the most striking representative of such works is "My Family" by Pan Yuliang.

Secondly, this is a special type of urban woman. Male artists often formed female images in accordance with the male aesthetic standards of their time. During the period of the Republic of China, artists depicted a woman as the bearer of an image exposing modern contradictions and conflicts with old morality. They created an independent female image in accordance with the new aesthetics. For example, Tsai William: "The Newlywed Wife" (1923), "Writer Ding Ling"(1929); Fan Junbi: "Student", "Flutist"; "Green Girl", written by Guan Zilang in 1929.

Thirdly, the nude female body was a special pictorial type. Using it, the new artists broke the taboo of traditional art, pointing to the obsolete morality of feudalism. Seeing in the female body an independent self-worth, they sometimes refuse to eroticize it, rebelling against the utilitarian approach in assessing the female body, both in aesthetics and in life. For example, "The Body of a Red Woman" (1941) by Pan Yuliang, "The Body of a woman sitting in front of a window" (1946), "A Naked woman with a fan" (1946) Guan Zilang and others ^[18].

The study of the historical role and artistic value of the new women's painting in the Republic of China should take into account the sociology of art in its dialectical aspect. At the beginning of the XX century, Chinese women actively mastered new social roles under the influence of Western educational thought. The new artists of the Republic of China lived in a modern context, where the interaction of old and new trends generated the culture of modern society ^[19]. The process of learning about the world, observing society and thinking about one's own place in it has had an important impact on women's creativity. Their paintings formed a new image of a woman on the foundation of the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures ^[20]. In the process of artistic and aesthetic changes and the awakening of female consciousness, new artists strive to get rid of the restrictions of patriarchal society and become independent creative subjects of society ^[21]. Changes in women's painting of the period of the Republic of China were expressed in the expansion of the subject of works, the transformation of the technique of work, the renewal of artistic concepts, the innovation of the images depicted, the creation of original compositional solutions. The success of the new women's painting was the result of the combined action of various historical factors, opening a new page of Chinese art.