{"id":17196,"date":"2017-11-08T10:07:25","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T02:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/?p=17196"},"modified":"2025-05-10T10:35:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T02:35:44","slug":"moment-in-beijing-and-tianjing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/moment-in-beijing-and-tianjing\/","title":{"rendered":"Moment in Beijing and Tianjing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cMoment in Beijing and Tianjin\u201d \u2013 Exhibition Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n

The exhibition Moment in Beijing and Tianjin<\/em> presents works by artists active primarily in the cities of Beiping (modern-day Beijing) and Tianjin during the 1920s and 1930s. These artists were central figures in early Republican-era Chinese painting. Representative members include Jin Cheng (1878\u20131926), Lin Shu (1852\u20131924), Chen Shizeng (Chen Hengke, 1876\u20131923), Qi Baishi (1864\u20131957), Chen Nian (1876\u20131970), Xiao Junxian (1865\u20131949), Xiao Xun (1883\u20131944), Yu Feian (1888\u20131959), Pu Jin (1880\u20131966), Pu Ru (1896\u20131963), Yu Ming (1884\u20131935), Qi Kun (1901\u20131944), Hu Peiheng (1892\u20131962), Chen Shaomei (1909\u20131954), and Liu Kuiling (1885\u20131967), among others.<\/p>\n

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I. \u201cThe Splendor of Jingjin\u201d \u2013 A Northern Perspective on a Grand Era<\/p>\n

As a major stage for the development of Chinese historical culture, Beijing\u2019s modern painting scene was profoundly influenced by the opening of the Forbidden City, and by exposure to Western and Japanese art. The Jingjin (Beijing\u2013Tianjin) school of painters benefited from the opportunity to study historical masterpieces up close, regularly copying and learning from them. At the same time, the influx of new ideas and techniques from the West spurred critical engagement and reform in traditional painting. This era became a pivotal moment in the transition of Chinese painting toward modernity.<\/p>\n

The term \u201cJingjin Splendor\u201d reflects a unique trajectory in Chinese art history\u2014an art form born in the turbulence of its time, celebrated under the banner of guohua<\/em> (national painting), and later woven into the shared cultural memory of a generation. It evolved through the dialectics of \u201cconservatism\u201d and \u201cinnovation,\u201d becoming ever more vital over time.<\/p>\n

\n

II. \u201cA Cultural Assertion\u201d \u2013 The Birth of a Regional Style<\/p>\n

The early Republican period was marked by tensions between ideological \u201cisms\u201d and scholarly inquiry. The clash between new ideologies and traditional scholarship led to intense criticism of Chinese cultural values. In response, a group of scholars and artists defended tradition while critically reflecting on the New Culture Movement. Two significant artistic societies emerged in Beiping: the Research Society of Chinese Painting<\/em> (Zhongguo Huahua Yanjiu Hui), founded in 1920 by Jin Cheng and Chen Shizeng, and the Lake Society<\/em> (Hushe), a later offshoot led by Jin Cheng\u2019s prot\u00e9g\u00e9s such as Chen Shaomei and Hu Peiheng.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the opening of the Forbidden City to the public, these societies actively recruited aspiring artists, offering training and promoting traditional Chinese painting. They stood in opposition to reformist figures like Kang Youwei and Xu Beihong, who sought to \u201crevolutionize\u201d Chinese art. Jin Cheng asserted that \u201cthere is no distinction between old and new in the art of painting,\u201d while Chen Shizeng championed literati painting, stating: \u201cThe literati\u2019s disregard for realism is in itself a form of progress… for the true spirit of painting lies not in likeness but in expression and meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n

These artistic philosophies, formalized through the activities of these societies, fostered a distinct regional style. Thus, the northern painting scene transformed\u2014elegant, reserved, and rich in depth\u2014distinct from the bright and buoyant style of the southern Shanghai School.<\/p>\n

\n

III. The Past Is Not Forgotten \u2013 The Modern Legacy of the Northern School<\/p>\n

In the 1920s and 1930s, Beiping thrived with cultural and artistic activity. Artists organized exhibitions and published journals such as Art Fortnightly<\/em> (Yishu Xunkan) by the Research Society of Chinese Painting and Lake Society Monthly<\/em> (Hushe Yuekan). These publications expanded public access to art beyond elite circles, making art appreciation a popular and fashionable pastime.<\/p>\n

This change allowed artists to step beyond the bounds of social obligation and enter an open art market. The Northern School\u2019s legacy lived on beyond its historical moment, continuing to resonate within modern popular culture.<\/p>\n

\n

IV. Conclusion<\/p>\n

It has been said: \u201cThose near the capital incline toward officialdom; those near the sea toward commerce.\u201d This aphorism captures the fundamental difference between the conservative \u201cCapital School\u201d (Jingpai) and the progressive \u201cShanghai School\u201d (Haipai) in early Republican Chinese painting.<\/p>\n

How could classical Chinese painting traditions be inherited and transformed? Leaders like Jin Cheng and Chen Shizeng explored this question both in theory and practice. Sadly, their early deaths meant their aspirations\u2014such as the revival of literati painting\u2014remained unfulfilled.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, later masters like Qi Baishi and Huang Binhong (1865\u20131955) completed vital artistic transformations in Beijing during their later years. Free from the constraints of tradition, they redefined the use of brush and ink, bringing new vitality and brilliance to modern Chinese painting. Their contributions shaped contemporary perceptions of guohua<\/em> in ways that even their predecessors could scarcely have imagined.<\/p>\n

The Splendor of Jingjin \u2013 Selected Works from the Collection of Professor Shih Yun-wen<\/em> is a curatorial attempt to revisit and reengage with this pivotal era. We hope the exhibition not only rekindles the glory of a century past but also reintroduces these masterpieces of the Northern School as timeless works of beauty that transcend politics and ignite renewed passion for early Republican Chinese art.<\/p>\n

———————–<\/p>\n

Moment in Beijing and Tianjing<\/strong>
\nExhibition duration\uff5c 2017.11.18-12.23
\nAdd\uff5c 16, Lane 69, JingYeh 2nd Rd., Taipei Taiwan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cMoment in Beijing and Tianjin\u201d \u2013 Exhibition Overview The exhibition Moment in Beijing and Tianjin presents works by artists active primarily in the cities of Beiping (modern-day Beijing) and Tianjin during the 1920s and 1930s. These artists were central figures in early Republican-era Chinese painting. Representative members include Jin Cheng (1878\u20131926), Lin Shu (1852\u20131924), Chen Shizeng (Chen Hengke, 1876\u20131923), Qi…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":17026,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[106],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Banner-\u4eac\u6d25\u98a8\u83ef-02.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17196"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17196"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17197,"href":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17196\/revisions\/17197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daguan.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}