Artistic representation of cultural archetypes of masculinity and femininity in Chinese realistic painting

In' Fan' ORCID: 0009-0002-3170-4329 Postgraduate student; Department of Design and Technology; Vladivostok State University 41 Gogol Street, Leninsky District, Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, 690014, Russia mtvtaganrog@yandex.ru Other publications by this author

introduction

Chinese realistic painting, as well as realism in general, developed according to the cultural universality of a binary vision of the world – authentic and imaginary, illusory, finding its expression in a variety of forms of artistic creativity, art, philosophy, ethics. However, in each cultural and civilizational type, this universal received its own semantic content, and in relation to Chinese traditional painting, it can be found not only in the genre of "flowers and birds" by Huanyao Hua back in the 7th-9th centuries, but also in the ceremonial portrait of the 10th-13th centuries, and, for example, in In Russian painting, iconographic images and genre scenes in the paintings of temple decorations were endowed with realistic features. Nevertheless, before realism turned into an independent trend and style, as well as an artistic method, it needed the context of a symbolic interpretation of the image created by the artist. Therefore, until the middle of the 19th century, no one actually talks about realistic painting. In China, realistic painting developed in the context of artists mastering the technique of oil painting, which received its official recognition closer to the twentieth century. Fundamental works are devoted to this history of cultural "exchange" and the experience of "borrowing" in the history of Chinese painting: Gao Minglu ^[1], Lu Hong ^[2], Lu Peng ^[3] and others, considered classics of Chinese art theory, and in Russia, the topic of the history of Chinese painting was considered: Belozerova V.G. ^[4], Vinogradova N.A. ^[5], Zavadskaya E.V. ^[6], Kravtsova M.E. ^[7], Neglinskaya M.A. ^[8] and others.

The history of Chinese realistic painting has many aspects of study, which are most often viewed through the prism of specific events and in the context of the current socio-cultural situation. It is well known from the modern history of China that the twentieth century has greatly changed not only the face of statehood, but also led to a revolution of consciousness in people's understanding of their freedom, gender equality, rights and responsibilities. In this regard, the development of Chinese realistic painting is considered in the context of several important periods: the period of the formation of the People's Republic of China (1946-1966), the period of the "Cultural Revolution" (1966-1976) and the period of "Reform and Openness" (1978 – present.time), which is reflected in the content of the conducted research in the part where the theoretical provisions are supported by illustrative examples from the visual work of contemporary artists.

However, there are extremely few studies in Chinese art criticism devoted to the continuity of modern artistic culture and ancient tradition, there are practically no known works on the analysis of collective archetypes in art, there is no academic justification for the connection of the collective unconscious (according to the theory of C.G.Jung ^[9]) with artistic images created by Chinese artists in different historical periods, with the exception of some articles In which the interpretation of the symbolism of the artistic representation of images of men and women in Socialist realism painting is given, for example, An Qi ^[10], Han Dong ^[11], Yu Wei ^[12]. Therefore, the study of ways and artistic forms of representation of gender cultural archetypes in Chinese realistic painting opens up new perspectives for Chinese theory and philosophy of art, cultural studies.

1. THE IMAGE OF MEN AND WOMEN IN THE CONCEPT OF CULTURAL ARCHETYPES

Artistic representation of cultural archetypes is a process in which cultural archetypes, as universal models of human behavior and thinking, are reflected and interpreted in various forms of art ^{[13, 14]}. These can be literature, cinema, visual arts, music, and other creative activities. Artists use archetypes to create images that resonate with the audience on a deep, often subconscious level, conveying complex ideas and emotions through recognizable symbols. The representation of archetypes in art allows the audience to easily identify themselves with the characters, understand the motives of their actions and find a common language with the work on an emotional level. This helps to create a deeper and more personal perception of art. Artistic representation of archetypes contributes to the preservation and transmission of cultural values, as well as the formation of cultural identity, it defines deep truths that are understandable to every person, regardless of their level of education or personal experience, but sharing common ideals, attitudes, and norms of assessment.

Carl Gustav Jung's theory of archetypes ^[9] is one of the most sought-after in humanitarian knowledge, as it serves as a universal tool for studying the basic, fundamental foundations of human culture of the past and present. As a student of the famous Sigmund Freud, C. Jung brilliantly used the concept of the "unconscious" in analyzing the deep layers of the human psyche, down to its collective forms, and thus he overcame the narrowness of the psychological approach and opened wide prospects for the study of the collective unconscious wherever its traces are found. First of all, cultural archetypes are embodied in texts, oral legends, myths, epics, and fairy tales, therefore, Russian cultural studies have developed a stable tradition of studying them as a narrative phenomenon of the ancient folk epic, starting with the works of M.M. Bakhtin, V.Ya. Propp, Yu.M. Lotman, V.N. Toporov, D.S. Likhachev, G.S. Pomerants et al. For modern cultural studies, K. Jung's theory of archetypes serves as a methodological foundation for the knowledge of many phenomena regardless of the time and space of their existence, and in Russian philosophy of art, art criticism, the theory of archetypes was realized in the analysis of artistic images embodying unconscious mental structures and represented in visual artistic symbols, in the works of modern researchers G.S. Gultyaev ^[15], D.S. Pchelkina ^[16], N.A. Khafizova ^[17].

In a general sense, a cultural archetype is a kind of "code" hidden in the unconscious area of the historical memory of a people, ethnos, nation, and civilization as a whole. The archetype itself is a universal symbol–image that embodies a significant person around whom a system of moral norms, traditions, beliefs, customs, rules, etc. is built. Such archetypes include the symbol-image of a Father (man), Mother (woman), Hero, Sage, Righteous, etc. which were highlighted by K. To a greater extent, Jung corresponded to certain innate mental structures that determine individual mental processes and manifestations. The Jungian archetypes Anima (feminine in a man) and Animus (masculine in a woman) in this regard mean a person's "predisposition" to specific experiences and reactions, which is subsequently imprinted on the acquired life experience. Archetypes are encoded not only in myths, legends, epics, religion, art, but also in dreams, creativity, and the worldview of a particular person. This is the synergistic connection between the collective and the individual in the human psyche.

In artistic visual art, the synergy of the archetypes of the collective unconscious and the symbolic imagery of the artist's work reaches a special completeness and harmony. In artistic representations, one can always find the personification of some universal archetype combined with its civilizational uniqueness. For example, in Chinese painting, these are archetypes-images of a dragon, a tree, a mountain, a stream, four noble plants (orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, plum), etc. As for the Jungian archetypes Anima and Animus, they have their own civilizational uniqueness in the artistic images of Chinese masters of antiquity and modernity. Taoism had a significant influence on this. The concept of Yin and Yang is nothing more than a symbolic personification of Anima and Animus. Thus, the ways and forms of artistic representation reflect the nature of civilizational reflexivity, the path to acquiring an ethnocultural identity, to comprehending the Self and the drama of a Person.

2. ARTISTIC REPRESENTATION OF THE IMAGE OF A MAN IN THE ARCHETYPE OF THE "FATHER"

The archetype of the Father in C. Jung's concept was considered by him back in the psychoanalytic period, therefore it received an appropriate interpretation, which developed within the framework of classical (Freudian) psychoanalysis. In his work "The importance of the father in the fate of an individual", K. Jung ^[18] demonstrates the experience of psychoanalytic research of those life stories and illnesses that were associated with his patients who experienced the effects of their father's infantile experiences. In his opinion, the father's figure is ambivalent, and this vividly demonstrates the archetype of the same name: in Christianity, there are essentially two male figures – God and the devil, expressing the struggle of opposing forces. On the side of God the Father there is perfect virtue and love, on the side of the devil there is vice and base sexuality. Since God the Father also sets limits and limitations through morality and education, a response of "repression" is formed in relation to natural manifestations. The devil, on the other hand, is a subverter of norms and rules, which means that he is the one who replaces "repression" with "acceptance." This, according to C. Jung, is precisely the ambivalence of the male archetypal image, which always symbolizes struggle, confrontation between life and death, loving and tyrannical towards his children.

In Chinese culture, patrimonial archetypal symbols have their differences, since they do not have such a vivid personalization of the ambivalent forces of good and evil. The archetype of the Father can be seen in traditional Chinese paintings depicting the wise elder, the emperor, the patron spirits, and, in part, can be observed in illustrations of natural forces. The symbolism of the Father as a Patron Sage is depicted in the portraits of the Ming Dynasty. For example, the portrait of the third ruler of the Ming Dynasty, the Yongle Emperor, known as Zhu Di, conveys the dignity and greatness of the ruler. The painting depicts him at an advanced age, with a serious and thoughtful expression on his face, dressed in traditional ceremonial robes decorated with embroidery and precious stones. His gaze is directed forward, his figure is straight and majestic. The solemnity of the ruler's appearance is given by the golden background behind his back, as well as the entire composition, which emphasizes the peaceful and confident appearance of the great builder of China, the founder of the Forbidden City and the famous navigator Zheng He. Portraits of the Hongxi Emperor named Zhu Gaochi, Ying Zong (Zhu Qijun), Shi Zong (Zhu Houtsong), and others were painted in the same style and technique as the portrait of Emperor Zhu Di.

Centuries later, Chinese realist artists in the same majestic manner will depict the "people's leaders", the rulers of the Communist republic, among which, first of all, the portraits of Chairman of the Communist Party of China Mao Zedong (1949-1976), Chairman of the Central Committee of the CPC Hua Guofeng (1976-1981) and General Secretary Xi Jinping, the real leader of the PRC, stand out. The artistic images of these people are deeply archetypal and correspond to the same patrimonial symbol of power and patronage possessed by a supernatural entity like a deity. They reveal not only an archaic sense of awe, but also the unconscious impulses of a child's love for his father, who embodies both tyranny, domination and complacency. For example, Mao Zedong is depicted in paintings by famous Chinese artists Dong Xiwen, Jin Shanyi, and others. Realistic painting created a huge iconographic series of portraits of party leaders with their characteristic monumentality and solemnity.

The archetypal archetype of the Father is associated for the Chinese with the names of Laozi and Kung Tzu (Confucius). Despite the fact that there is no accurate depiction of these two personalities, in the traditional Chinese figurative vision they are presented as venerable elders, at the same time wise and naive as children, stately, majestic and at the same time good-natured, open. Since the images of Laozi and Confucius have a stereotypical figurative transmission, the modern visual interpretation of these images is interesting. For example, the archetypal features of the Father can be seen in a series of paintings by the famous modern Chinese realist artist Guo Defu. One of the most interesting works of this master is a series of drawings made in ink and watercolor, in which the philosophy and atmosphere of the ancient teacher are masterfully conveyed. For example, a drawing titled "Confucius talks to students" depicts a famous philosopher surrounded by students who enthusiastically listen to his speeches. The space is filled with a thin haze, creating an atmosphere of mystery and sublimity. Confucius himself is represented as standing silently, focused and immersed in thought, which emphasizes the depth of his thoughts and the significance of the word.

The archetypal stereotypes of the perception of the Father as a symbol of the ancestral bond, a bulwark, vitality and will of character are also visible in the portrait painting of Chinese realist artists of the twentieth century. Luo Zhongli's famous painting of the same name "Father" became a symbol of the "art of scars" artistic movement, which arose in response to the traumas experienced by the country and people during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), against the background of repression, violence and the destruction of traditional values. The painting depicts an elderly peasant, whose appearance testifies to a difficult life path. A man, staring into the distance with an absent gaze, is presented in close-up with a detailed study of wrinkles and wrinkles on his face; rough nails, dark circles under his eyes create the impression of the severity of the years he has lived and painful trials, which causes a strong emotional reaction from the viewer. In this picture, the same archetype of the Father is still there, but now he appears on the other side, embodying the steadfastness, perseverance and strength of character inherent in a man as the founder of the family. In many ways, it was Luo Junli's painting "Father" that laid the foundations for an interest in the art of hyperrealism, which others soon began to follow. Artists belonging to this trend sought to express deep feelings of loss, pain and grief, using visual images and metaphors that convey personal experiences and the social consequences of the disaster. The main representatives of the movement were Liu Xiaodong, Fang Lisheng, Zhang Shouyi, and others.

3. ARTISTIC REPRESENTATION OF THE IMAGE OF A WOMAN IN THE ARCHETYPE OF THE "MOTHER"

Throughout the centuries-old history, artists have always considered women as a source of inspiration for their creations, and the image of women was considered the epitome of beauty as such ^[19]. Artists' desire to depict women was as long-standing as humanity's desire to touch nature through a sensual image, and as a result, female images appeared in works of art much more often than male ones, and these images covered a number of areas, from an individual family to the whole society, and concerned both the real and the imaginary. turning the image of women into art, and men into simple drawing.

The feminine principle in C. Jung's concept of archetypes is associated with the symbol of the "Great Mother", has a universal character and is present in all cultures and civilizations. This image embodies the values of the source and beginning of life, growth, and nutrition, so the "Great Mother" is also "Mother Earth" as a natural force. The "Great Mother" embodies creative energy, she inspires new things, supports and strengthens forces ^[20]. And, of course, she expresses the meaning of motherhood as the natural essence of the feminine principle, so a Mother is depicted with a baby in her arms, or with her whole appearance demonstrates tenderness, care, affection, comfort and safety.

The archetype of the Mother woman in Chinese traditional culture plays a key role and is manifested in all forms of art, in the religion of Buddhism and Taoism, in philosophy and ethics. For example, Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, revered in China, is the most important image of Buddhist iconography; she embodies maternal love, compassion and protection of all living beings. Artists often depict her with a baby in her arms, similar to the Christian iconographic image of the Mother of God. This is how the image of the Mother and motherhood in general is idealized. Traditional Chinese culture highly values family values, especially the role of the mother in raising children and maintaining a home. The mother is seen as the guardian of family happiness, love and care. The image of an ideal mother serves as a standard of behavior and a moral guideline.

In numerous traditional Chinese paintings made with mineral and vegetable paints on silk or thin paper – Gohua (國畫) – female images embody humility, chastity, dignity and barely noticeable romanticism, hidden even from the eyes of the viewer. In this context, the archetypal properties of a woman are concentrated on her external perfection, the ideal embodiment of tenderness and grace, fragility of facial features, grace of the body, smoothness of arms and legs. Often the image of a woman is intertwined with natural scenes: She is depicted among beautiful flowers, birds, trees, and reservoirs, thereby emphasizing her organic connection with the environment. There are several main types of this image: a young beauty with smooth skin, large eyes and a slender body, busy reading books or looking away with a shy smile; a noble lady of noble origin in rich clothes, sitting on chairs or walking in gardens; a bride waiting for her lover or preparing for the wedding ceremony.

However, centuries later, society's views on the purpose of women changed, they expanded and acquired new national and social shades. Since the founding of New China, art has become a force of revolutionary struggle. Under these conditions, artists were required to create works that corresponded to the political needs and ideology of the time, and works of art were used to promote the ideology of socialism and the spirit of revolution, as well as to emphasize loyalty to the party and the country. Under these conditions, the emphasis in artistic creation shifted towards socialist realism, where attention was focused on depicting and criticizing real life in order to serve the cause of socialist construction and revolution. The paintings featured images of women from all walks of life involved in community service ^[21].

These were the realist artists who saw women workers and collective farmers, among them paintings by Jin Shanyi, Yuan Jiyang, who worked in the genre of battle and socio-political painting, Zhou Lingshan, Han Yanxing, known for large-scale compositions depicting the lives of Soviet and Chinese women workers united in joint labor exploits, Shen Fengxiang, Li Xiaoshu, who presented female images in a romantically uplifting way, emphasizing their nobility and spiritual purity.

The images of women in paintings from the time of the Cultural Revolution are a product of a special era. These artistic images are inevitably linked to the politics of the time in terms of artistic thought, artistic form, and method of creation, in the sense that all artistic images were created only to serve specific political intentions. The unprecedented emancipation of women in this movement made them the most numerous, most devoted, and most ardent part of the ranks of the Cultural Revolution, which precisely met the political needs of class struggle, economic development, and spiritual sensationalism, and women naturally became the protagonists of works of art. Although the women were engaged in different professions. These female images got rid of the traditional pictures of slender and weak, dignified and elegant femininity and presented a valiant and spiritual sense of courage, glorified a new era of women's active struggle for the cause of revolution, full of self-improvement and self-confidence, optimistic and positive spirit, and formed a typical image of a woman with characteristic features of the time.

The following period, related to the events after the Cultural Revolution, prepared Chinese realist artists to understand the mother woman as a source of family and national well-being, giving her strength to ensure the life and growth of her children and society as a whole. Luo Zhongli's oil painting "Spring Silkworms" is considered related to the painting "Father" in terms of artistic value and historical significance for the development of modern Chinese painting. From the point of view of artistic technique, the work uses a deep black background and dramatic lighting to focus attention on an elderly woman who bends down to take care of silk cocoons, hiding the details of her face and instead conveying the spiritual essence of maternal indulgence and devotion through white hair, wrinkled hands and a bright red camellia on her chest, depicted as delicate as silver threads. This compositional technique of "using a part to represent the whole" not only violates the straightforward expression of traditional portraits, but also symbolizes the perseverance and selflessness of Chinese farmers through the image of spring silkworms "spinning silk until death." By their historical significance, "Spring Silkworms" and "Father" together represent representative works of "scar art" that undermined the stereotypical artistic language of the "red, bright and vibrant" period of the Cultural Revolution, turned the perspective to the real living conditions of ordinary workers, endowed ordinary farmers with a high aesthetic status and became a microcosm of the awakening of humanistic concern for the at an early stage of reform and openness. In terms of social value, he reveals the silent contribution of Chinese rural women in changing times through the creation of a maternal image.

"Scar art" or "scar painting" is a branch of artistic creativity that emerged at the end of the Cultural Revolution in the 1970s and shifted from idealism and heroism to sad realism and populism; it focuses on ordinary people in a great era. As for the color scheme, the creators of "scars" abandoned the use of bright colors and replaced them with restrained gray, and large wavy lines were used to enhance psychology and aesthetics, reflecting the emotional fluctuations of the plot of the picture, the hardness and simplicity of feelings. In general, "scar painting" contributed to a shift in aesthetic consciousness, a rebellion against the politicization of art, overcoming the reproductive method of ideological propaganda, and, at the same time, marked the transformation of archetypal symbols of the feminine and masculine in the direction of their contextual simplification. While in traditional Chinese art and painting, the Masculine and Feminine principles retain their binary rigor and consistency of two polar forces, in socialist realism it has identified itself in the gender balance of social roles and responsibilities, in "scar painting" the images of men and women acquire an actual simplicity and spontaneity in subjects taken from ordinary people's lives.

conclusions

Jung's theory of archetypes plays an important role in the study of the characteristics of civilizations, as they help to identify the deep symbols and structures of the collective unconscious that influence the formation of the mentality and identity of individual peoples and cultures. Archetypes help to decipher the meanings contained in the products of human creative activity; in fine art, they reveal the inner unconscious world of the artist, as well as convey the "code" of a particular civilization. Analyzing archetypes, it is possible to identify the basic values and attitudes of a particular civilization. Since archetypes exist at the level of the collective unconscious, their study allows for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of functioning of society, the peculiarities of interaction between groups and behavioral patterns, values, ideals and norms.

Specific archetypes, primarily universal ones, characteristic of any kind of culture and civilization, for example, the archetype of the Father and the archetype of the Mother, have at the same time unique national forms of presentation and meaning, thus acting as a marker of civilizational identity. The visual means in Chinese traditional painting are at the same time its unique cultural "code" by which differences from other types of cultures and civilizations are recognized. The representation of images of men and women in their archetypal visualization accompanies Chinese visual art throughout its existence, both during the ancient dynasties and the era of New China, but each time the archetypes come to life in the updated context of specific historical events and social conditions. In this regard, the study of archetypes is able to identify potential crises and development prospects, such as the historical experience of overcoming the consequences of the Cultural Revolution for art, which turned into a reflection of the "scars" left in the collective memory of modern Chinese and turned into a kind of humanistic manifesto that changed human consciousness in the light of the meaning and value of his real daily life. Thus, realistic painting became a link in the general chain of cultural transformation, which retained its connection with the deep foundations of the collective memory of Chinese civilization.

The article is published in the version approved by the reviewers (after receiving a positive review recommending the manuscript for publication) with corrections made by the author (after receiving the editor’s comments, if any).
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