Interpretation of the History and Life of the Chinese People in the Works of Russian Emigrant Artists of the 1920s–1930s

 The activity of Russian emigrant artists in China in the first half of the XX century is an important component of the cultural heritage not only of Russia, but also of the People's Republic of China.

This topic is more relevant than ever, taking into account the close cultural contacts developing between the two states, including in the artistic sphere. In the Russian Federation and the "Celestial Empire" scientific works of various levels devoted to the interaction of Russian and Chinese art are being published. One of the most important stages of this process was the creativity and pedagogical practice of Russian painters and graphic artists in China during the "white emigration". Russian masters worked in the country simultaneously with Xu Beihong, Liu Haisu, Lin Fengming, Yan Wenlian and other representatives of guohua and oil painting new to the country, and influenced the formation of the next generations of artists.

The purpose of the work is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the manifestation in the works of the most prominent painters and graphic artists of Russian emigration in China of topics related to the life and history of the eastern country. In accordance with this, such tasks as determining the circle of artists who lived in the Celestial Empire and turned to images associated with it; the peculiarities of the presentation of such motives and means of their artistic expression; the establishment of the main subjects in creative activity are solved. The research methodology is based on the analysis of the plots and stylistics of the works of Russian artists, the establishment of the specifics of the compositional and coloristic solutions.

Russian researcher N.P. Kradin was able to identify in the archives materials and biographical information about 165 artists of the beginning of the last century, one way or another connected with China. Many of them lived in this country during these decades ^[1]. A.A. Khisamutdinov examines in detail the activities of creative associations and independent artists in Harbin, and also indirectly touches on the problem of the influence of Chinese culture on the artistic vision of emigrant artists ^[2]. V.G. Sharonova wrote a short article describing the activities of artists of "white emigration" in Shanghai ^[3]. Chinese art historian Wang Ping wrote a dissertation in Russian, in which he notes that the modern study of the work of emigrant artists is characterized by "the expansion of the studied issues" ^[4]. The author mentions that among Chinese scientists the topic of Russian emigration in the first half of the XIX century is poorly developed. Among the most complete studies, it is necessary to mention the work of Wang Zhicheng ^[5]. It should be noted that researchers have not previously addressed the issue of determining the role and place of certain images and their systems in the works of Russian artists who lived and worked in China in the first half of the XX century. The study of their creative activity has so far been at the level of searching for information about individual authors, less often the location and attribution of the works they created, as well as attempts to make sense of it in the context of the life of emigrants in China.

China of the 1920s–1940s experienced serious political and economic transformations. At the same time, the national revolutionary movement was growing, which turned into a civil war ^{[3, p. 45]}. In addition, Japan invaded Manchuria and Northern China in 1937. In the sphere of culture and art at that time there were disputes between traditionalists and supporters of "Westernization". Hu Shi's concept of full acceptance of elements of Western culture resonated in the hearts of many figures. Against this background, the creative activity of artists from the "white emigration" was perceived positively. Expatriate artists lived in China mainly from the 1920s to the late 1940s. After 1949, many of them left the country and either returned to their homeland or went to other countries. First of all, we are talking about M.A. Kichigin, V.S. Podgursky, Ya.L. Likhonos, V.A. Asypkin — authors who reflected in their works various aspects of the life of the Chinese of that time.

For several decades of their stay in the Celestial Empire, the artistic life of the country was more active than ever. Harbin and Shanghai became the key centers. Russian artists, struggling for survival in a foreign country, did not abandon their creative searches. Many of them joined various creative unions. For example, the association "Ring", "Circle of Artists", the society "Icon", the group "Wanderers", "Atelier", "Tent", "Lotus" and other organizations are known, which "promoted not only the communication of cultural figures close in public and professional views, but also contributed by holding exhibitions, public lectures on popularization of Russian art in the general population" ^{[4, p. 104]}.

Wang Ping pointed out that "in some masters [Russian emigrant artists], the influence of oriental painting techniques is quite clearly manifested" ^{[4, p. 167]}. However, talking about the peculiarities of writing, color and composition, he almost did not touch on the subject of the works, their plot side, as well as the reasons for creating certain images. Briefly, he notes that "the work of many Russian artists in China was more devoted to the life and nature of the "Celestial Empire". They depicted China, its population, life, city, landscapes and architecture on their canvases. Using the motifs of Chinese exoticism in their works, they still remained Russian in spirit and mood" ^{[4, p. 121]}.

If we turn to the work of these artists, it turns out that the images of China are manifested, first of all, in portraits and fire scenes. They show how carefully the authors treat the choice of the type of their characters, their costumes and attributes, interior details. One of the greatest masters of Russian artistic emigration in China was M.A. Kichigin, a graduate of the Stroganov School, who later taught at the Lotus Studio in Harbin. In parallel with the work with the students, the master wrote works in the portrait and landscape genre. However, his most interesting works are connected with scenes from the life of ordinary people. His attention is attracted by the daily work of the Chinese, which is shown to them against the background of authentic urban architecture. Moreover, it can be gray huts, and magnificent palace pavilions. People are shown as small and insignificant. But it is they who bring expression to the structure of canvases. Probably, in the way the composition is created, the artist's attraction to the theater is expressed, for which the master, as is known, often created scenery.

Figure 1. Kichigin M.A. A scene from the life of China. 1920s–1930s. Yaroslavl Art Museum. Source: http://www.unionart76.ru/khudozhniki/memorial/kichigin-ma-1883-1968.html

Later, the artist's wife recalled that "Mikhail Alexandrovich was an excellent portraitist, immediately "grasped nature", felt the character of a person, regardless of who was in front of him — whether an adviser to the Chinese emperor or a beggar rickshaw. He painted portraits quickly in 2-3 hours. He worked in oil, pastel, sanguine, charcoal" ^{[7, p. 136]}. Among such portrait images, which are collected in the walls of the Yaroslavl Art Museum, images of ordinary Chinese stand out. Mostly, the masters were attracted by adults, often old people. So, watercolor portraits of an elderly calligrapher are characteristic of M.A. Kichigin of that period. The master focuses on the face of the model, showing it in the most interesting angle. He carefully writes out wrinkles on tanned skin, gray strands, which are shaded by a dark velvet cap and collar. The spectacular profile is accentuated by a darker and rather mottled backdrop consisting of wet brush strokes. In the spirit of the European portrait, the artist introduces a "talking" attribute — a brush dipped in ink. Long and knobby fingers also testify to the work of the depicted person (Fig. 2).

Figure 2. Kichigin M.A. The Old calligrapher. 1939. Yaroslavl Art Museum. Source: https://my.mail.ru/community/picturesofmasters/250BD9D9028C9636.html

Figure 3. Kichigin M.A. At the ferry on the Pearl River. The 1930s. Yaroslavl Art Museum. Source: https://my.mail.ru/community/picturesofmasters/250BD9D9028C9636.html

It is the theme of labor that attracts the painter's attention. He wants to show not the local nobility and nouveau riche, or statesmen, military leaders, who just at that time "reshaped" China politically and militarily. He tends more to show the unhurried and rather quiet life that took place in cities. One of the most lyrical images in his work was the painting "At the ferry on the Pearl River". On a square canvas, the master on the right writes a long maple trunk, branches bending to the ground. They show brown and yellow leaves in autumn. Along the foreground there is a shoreline with figures of boatmen in pointed hats. They are waiting for their turn, resting and, as is typical of my people, admiring the fading beauty of nature. Behind them, junks with sails resembling a dragon's wing float along the river in a pearl fog.

Figure 3. Kuznetsova-Kichigina V.E. Dragon Festival. The 1930s. Yaroslavl Art Museum. Source: https://my.mail.ru/community/picturesofmasters/250BD9D9028C9636.html

The daughter of the artist V.E. Kuznetsov-Kichigina studied with her father in the studio "Lotus", and subsequently became an artist. China in her works appears to be a magical and exotic country. She created vivid landscapes and everyday scenes. For example, the drawing "Dragon Festival" seems much closer to Chinese art than his father's work. The master positions the action called "When the Dragon raises its head" as if it is in the thick of it. The lower part of the work is filled with Chinese people in colorful and bright outfits, dancing and playing musical instruments. Above them along the horizontal axis of the canvas stretched the body of a paper dragon, supported by sticks (Fig. 3). The drawing is dominated by the linear principle, and color plays a subordinate role. V.E. Kuznetsova-Kichigina prefers soft green, red, blue and ochre, which also resembles the traditional painting of my country. The vertical strip with hieroglyphs in the upper right part is another confirmation of this.

Like her father, V.E. Kuznetsova-Kichigina was fond of portraits of local residents. They were created by her in a more ponderous manner, almost sculptural, but at the same time they perfectly conveyed the similarity. The artist did not seek to idealize tired workers, on the contrary, emphasized their ability to survive in difficult life circumstances, hidden in wide cheekbones, deep wrinkles, dark circles under the eyes (Fig. 4). The author sculpts heads with broad and confident strokes, and marking the body and environment with only a few strokes.

Figure 4. Kuznetsova-Kichigina V.E. Loader (Shanghai). 1938. Yaroslavl Art Museum. Source: https://my.mail.ru/community/picturesofmasters/250BD9D9028C9636.html

V.S. Podgursky is a graduate of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture and, in particular, a student of the Russian painters V.M. Vasnetsov and A.E. Arkhipov. The master taught and was engaged in creative work after emigration, was a member of creative associations. His works were often exhibited at exhibitions in Shanghai. The focus of attention, first of all, was the life of ordinary Chinese, usually peasants, as well as landscapes with local architecture. Both there and there V.S. Podgursky was looking for such images that would best characterize the country in which he lived. He especially liked the street scenes, where adults and children, working and vacationers are shown. He could depict a crowd of people with different characters, indifferent or involved in some kind of incident, or he could show images of cabbies, movers, merchants who performed only the role of staffage against the background of magnificent buildings (Fig. 5).

Figure 5. Podgursky V.S. Street scene. 1920s. Primorsky State United Museum named after V.K. Arsenyev. Source: https://mytashkent.uz/2016/04/10/vernut-iz-zabveniya/

One of the most expressive images of the 1920s by V.S. Podgursky was the painting "A Chinese man pouring tea". The master, faithful to the realistic tradition of the Russian art school, very carefully paints a tanned and wiry figure of a local resident hiding from the scorching sun under a straw hat. His torso, draped hips, knees seem almost antique, reminiscent of academic drawings and studies. However, the characteristic Asian features, overworked hands and an old battered teapot indicate that an ordinary person is in front of the viewer. He is surrounded by small almost white houses under the sun, as well as the sky gray from the heat (Fig. 6). The life-giving moisture pouring from the spout of the kettle into the bowl brings relief to the hero working on a hot day.

Figure 6. Podgursky V.S. Chinese pouring tea. 1920s. Primorsky State United Museum named after V.K. Arsenyev. Source: "The Chinese drinking tea" https://ngasanova.livejournal.com/1392120.html

The artist Ya.L. Likhonos, who received an art education at the school of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of Arts in St. Petersburg, was considered one of the most sought-after Russian artists of emigration ^{[3, p. 240]}. He participated in many exhibitions in Shanghai and Harbin, and specialized in landscapes and images of temple interiors. However, in his work there are also everyday scenes with the participation of the Chinese. For example, the "Street in Nantao" depicts a narrow street squeezed between the reddish walls of tall houses. Immersed in shadow, it contrasts with the gap in the background. There, in the distance, covered shopping malls can be seen in the sunlight. A man in dark clothes is also heading there. The sun and the noise of the city are contrasted with the theme of silence and loneliness.

Figure 7. Likhonos Ya.L. Street in Nantao. 1937. The State Museum of the East. Source: orientmuseum.ru

The painter V.A. Asypkin, who graduated from the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, had his own art studio in Harbin. He specialized in portraits of representatives of diplomatic circles and public figures. His creative heritage also includes many sketches with views of Qingdao and Peitaho, including the temples of Putu Island. A special place is occupied by scenes from the life of citizens. For example, in oil, he writes "The first session", "Scows", "Junk at sea", "Portrait of a Chinese" and others, showing his impressions of life in a foreign, but interesting country for him.

Russian artists who found themselves in China had the opportunity to experience the many shocks that fell to the lot of their native people, and the Chinese. The mood of futility of efforts and depression possessed many representatives of both Chinese and emigrant artistic circles. Meanwhile, the paintings created in the best traditions of the Russian realistic school are permeated by interest and love for the land that sheltered them, an optimistic vision of people's lives. It is noteworthy that at the same time Qi Baishi and Xu Beihong also sought to portray the beauty of the world through simple objects and images, wanting to distance themselves as much as possible from catastrophic events ^[8]. Emigrant artists, against the background of the leading landscape genres in Chinese painting of those years, as well as flowers and birds, offered completely new topics to the Chinese public: a psychological portrait and a household genre. They did not focus on the characteristic contemplation of natural forms or archaic palace scenes. They were interested in images that conveyed the spirit of modern China — a country that was experiencing economic and industrial development, but at the same time was torn apart by internal and external contradictions, a gradual increase in the need for revolutionary transformations.

Painters from Russia offered their own view of these processes, which, apparently, was generated by their own desire to escape from wars and disasters that they had already experienced at home, into the world of uncomplicated scenes from the streets of cities or suburban landscapes. They focused on colorful costumes and behavior of people, as well as portraits and small sketches with images of peasants, workers, beggars. The masters conveyed a lively character, appearance, body plasticity, features of costume and behavior, and all this was given in a special atmosphere with local architecture and nature. It is such works that Russian painters and graphic artists created on their own, for themselves. The authors tried to take them with them on their further wanderings: back to their homeland or to other countries. Consequently, they contained the innermost thing that connected artists with China, its people, and was a kind of ethnographic and historical document.