The formation of Chen Shizeng’s artistic theory during the Beijing period

Abstract

At the beginning of the last century, the art of guohua painting existed in a unique and contradictory cultural environment. In Chinese art circles of that time, there was a heated debate about Chinese and Western painting and the possible paths for the development of national art. One of the key figures who greatly influenced artistic thought in the 20th century was the artist and art historian Chen Shizeng. During the ten years he spent in Beijing, he thoroughly studied and reflected on the history of Chinese painting through the lens of Western art, actively engaged in artistic creation, and sought the right path for the development of guohua painting in the 20th century. During this period, Chen Shizeng gradually developed his painting ideas, which he directly connected with the social and cultural transformations of the Republican period in China.