fluktor -|||- study - office - newsletter March 15, 2006

www.chinaview.cn 2006-03-13 16:38:15
Exhibit recaptures painter's life

    BEIJING, Mar. 13 -- Liu Haisu (1896-1994) is probably one of the most controversial artists in modern Chinese art history.

    On the one hand, he is believed by many to be the founder of the first art academy in China with a Western-style curriculum.

    Many also believe he was the first Chinese art educator to employ the nude in painting classes.

    Still others view him to be a man of great courage and moral integrity who refused to co-operate with Japanese invaders in the 1940s when the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was waged across China.

    However, 12 years after his death, many Chinese artists and critics are still divided over and questioning the details in his art and his personal history.

    "History has its own logic. I believe each of the great figures will receive their final, fair judgment some day in the future," said Zhang Peicheng, curator of the Shanghai-based Liu Haisu Art Museum, during last week's press conference for the art exhibition commemorating the 110th anniversary of Liu's birth.

    "At present, why shouldn't we focus on the bare facts we have already known about and see what we can learn from the veteran artist?"

    The exhibition opened this Monday at the National Art Museum of China in downtown Beijing and runs until March 17.

    Jointly organized by the National Art Museum of China and Liu Haisu Art Museum, the exhibition features 95 of Liu's selected works, including 54 oils and 41 Chinese ink paintings.

    Also on show are some of Liu's letters, manuscripts, and old photos depicting Liu's early years in Shanghai, his journeys to Europe in 1929, 1931, 1933, and 1989, and his 10 trips to the picturesque Mount Huangshan in east China's Anhui Province in the early 1980s.

    Coinciding with the exhibition, an academic seminar on Liu's art will be held on March 16 at the Yanhuang Art Museum in northern Beijing. All the exhibits on display in Beijing are from the Liu Haisu Art Museum, which is widely believed to have housed the largest collection of Liu's works and his private collection of many ancient Chinese ink masterpieces he donated to the government in 1994.

    Liu staged his first art show in Beijing at the same museum in 1979.

    "This time, with quite a few exhibits for the first time ever greeting the public and art circles alike, the exhibition will offer Beijing viewers a most comprehensive account of Liu's art and life," said Fan Di'an, director of National Art Museum of China.

    The highlighted works include Liu's signature oil work entitled The Qianmen Gate, which was shown in Paris in 1929 and won sweeping critical acclaim, and a 1930 oil painting entitled Madame L which, with unstrained strokes and patches of colours, portrays a young lady in traditional Chinese clothes.

    In addition, it also features Liu's five other earlier works that were lightly damaged and have been repaired only recently by researchers from the Liu Haisu Art Museum and some experts from the Shanghai Research Institute of Oil and Sculpture Art.

    (Source: China Daily)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/13/content_4298854.htm

**************************

Xinhua, 2006-03-08
Remembering pioneer of modern Chinese art

BEIJING, March. 9 Liu Haisu was one of the pioneers of the modern Chinese art movement who introduced Western art to China. He was also the founding father of modern Chinese art education.

"Liu's life is closely associated with the development of modern Chinese art history," said museum curator Zhang Peicheng.

Liu was born into a merchant's family in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, in 1896. He began to learn painting at the age of 6 by studying line drawings, a simple and elegant genre of traditional Chinese painting art.

At 13, he went to Shanghai, hoping to study Western painting. He was delighted to discover the works of Velzquez and Goya, which he copied to learn Western oil and watercolour techniques.

Liu was skilled at both oil and ink painting.

Even before going to Europe, Liu was familiar with Western art through art albums at foreign-language bookstores.

In 1912, the first year of the new Chinese republic, Liu established the Shanghai Art Academy(as his school was later called), predecessor of the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts.

He also worked with an unidentified teacher who had studied Western painting in Japan and briefly attended Aurora University, which was run by French Catholic missionaries.

The classes included lessons in life-drawing, anatomy, perspective, and the use of Western media, such as watercolour, oils and gouache."Liu Haisu, an art educator with a strong pioneering sense, was a major influence in the introduction of impressionism and post-impressionism in modern China," pointed out Shui Tianzhong, a Beijing-based art historian."He spread new trends of Western painting with great passion."

As early as in June 1919, Liu introduced impressionism in his book "A Brief History of Western Landscape Painting."

Liu's early oil paintings, both in terms of composition and use of light and colour, betrayed the strong influence of French impressionist painters, Shui said.

In 1914, Liu adopted the teaching methods of most Western art academies including Western style, nude figure paintings.

"For much of his long life, Liu has devoted time and energy to teaching at art academies and nurturing young Chinese artists," said Feng Jianqin, dean of Nanjing Art Academy, which was also founded by Liu in the mid-1950s.

"As a veteran artist and art educator, Liu never stopped exploring new possibilities in his painting art during the ups and downs in his life. He set a good example for his contemporaries," said Zhang.

Liu kept doing Chinese ink paintings during the"cultural revolution"(1966-76) when he was thrown into the whirlwind of social and political chaos.

The elderly artist frequented Mount Huangshan in Anhui Province in the 1980s, later bringing out his painting albums and books on art education.

In early August 1994, Liu donated all his works and collection of ancient Chinese paintings to the government.

On August 7, 1994, Liu died in a Shanghai hospital. In 1995, the Liu Haisu Art Museum was opened.

(Source: China Daily)

http://english.sina.com/life/1/2006/0308/68636.html

with kind regards,

Matthias Arnold (Art-Eastasia list)

http://www.chinaresource.org
http://www.fluktor.de

__________________________________________

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For postings earlier than 2005-02-23 please go to:
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	March 15, 2006: [achtung! kunst] Beijing, National Art Museum of China: Liu Haisi

	www.chinaview.cn 2006-03-13 16:38:15 Exhibit recaptures painter's life BEIJING, Mar. 13 -- Liu Haisu (1896-1994) is probably one of the most controversial artists in modern Chinese art history. On the one hand, he is believed by many to be the founder of the first art academy in China with a Western-style curriculum. Many also believe he was the first Chinese art educator to employ the nude in painting classes. Still others view him to be a man of great courage and moral integrity who refused to co-operate with Japanese invaders in the 1940s when the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was waged across China. However, 12 years after his death, many Chinese artists and critics are still divided over and questioning the details in his art and his personal history. "History has its own logic. I believe each of the great figures will receive their final, fair judgment some day in the future," said Zhang Peicheng, curator of the Shanghai-based Liu Haisu Art Museum, during last week's press conference for the art exhibition commemorating the 110th anniversary of Liu's birth. "At present, why shouldn't we focus on the bare facts we have already known about and see what we can learn from the veteran artist?" The exhibition opened this Monday at the National Art Museum of China in downtown Beijing and runs until March 17. Jointly organized by the National Art Museum of China and Liu Haisu Art Museum, the exhibition features 95 of Liu's selected works, including 54 oils and 41 Chinese ink paintings. Also on show are some of Liu's letters, manuscripts, and old photos depicting Liu's early years in Shanghai, his journeys to Europe in 1929, 1931, 1933, and 1989, and his 10 trips to the picturesque Mount Huangshan in east China's Anhui Province in the early 1980s. Coinciding with the exhibition, an academic seminar on Liu's art will be held on March 16 at the Yanhuang Art Museum in northern Beijing. All the exhibits on display in Beijing are from the Liu Haisu Art Museum, which is widely believed to have housed the largest collection of Liu's works and his private collection of many ancient Chinese ink masterpieces he donated to the government in 1994. Liu staged his first art show in Beijing at the same museum in 1979. "This time, with quite a few exhibits for the first time ever greeting the public and art circles alike, the exhibition will offer Beijing viewers a most comprehensive account of Liu's art and life," said Fan Di'an, director of National Art Museum of China. The highlighted works include Liu's signature oil work entitled The Qianmen Gate, which was shown in Paris in 1929 and won sweeping critical acclaim, and a 1930 oil painting entitled Madame L which, with unstrained strokes and patches of colours, portrays a young lady in traditional Chinese clothes. In addition, it also features Liu's five other earlier works that were lightly damaged and have been repaired only recently by researchers from the Liu Haisu Art Museum and some experts from the Shanghai Research Institute of Oil and Sculpture Art. (Source: China Daily) http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/13/content_4298854.htm ************************** Xinhua, 2006-03-08 Remembering pioneer of modern Chinese art BEIJING, March. 9 Liu Haisu was one of the pioneers of the modern Chinese art movement who introduced Western art to China. He was also the founding father of modern Chinese art education. "Liu's life is closely associated with the development of modern Chinese art history," said museum curator Zhang Peicheng. Liu was born into a merchant's family in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, in 1896. He began to learn painting at the age of 6 by studying line drawings, a simple and elegant genre of traditional Chinese painting art. At 13, he went to Shanghai, hoping to study Western painting. He was delighted to discover the works of Velzquez and Goya, which he copied to learn Western oil and watercolour techniques. Liu was skilled at both oil and ink painting. Even before going to Europe, Liu was familiar with Western art through art albums at foreign-language bookstores. In 1912, the first year of the new Chinese republic, Liu established the Shanghai Art Academy(as his school was later called), predecessor of the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts. He also worked with an unidentified teacher who had studied Western painting in Japan and briefly attended Aurora University, which was run by French Catholic missionaries. The classes included lessons in life-drawing, anatomy, perspective, and the use of Western media, such as watercolour, oils and gouache."Liu Haisu, an art educator with a strong pioneering sense, was a major influence in the introduction of impressionism and post-impressionism in modern China," pointed out Shui Tianzhong, a Beijing-based art historian."He spread new trends of Western painting with great passion." As early as in June 1919, Liu introduced impressionism in his book "A Brief History of Western Landscape Painting." Liu's early oil paintings, both in terms of composition and use of light and colour, betrayed the strong influence of French impressionist painters, Shui said. In 1914, Liu adopted the teaching methods of most Western art academies including Western style, nude figure paintings. "For much of his long life, Liu has devoted time and energy to teaching at art academies and nurturing young Chinese artists," said Feng Jianqin, dean of Nanjing Art Academy, which was also founded by Liu in the mid-1950s. "As a veteran artist and art educator, Liu never stopped exploring new possibilities in his painting art during the ups and downs in his life. He set a good example for his contemporaries," said Zhang. Liu kept doing Chinese ink paintings during the"cultural revolution"(1966-76) when he was thrown into the whirlwind of social and political chaos. The elderly artist frequented Mount Huangshan in Anhui Province in the 1980s, later bringing out his painting albums and books on art education. In early August 1994, Liu donated all his works and collection of ancient Chinese paintings to the government. On August 7, 1994, Liu died in a Shanghai hospital. In 1995, the Liu Haisu Art Museum was opened. (Source: China Daily) http://english.sina.com/life/1/2006/0308/68636.html with kind regards, Matthias Arnold (Art-Eastasia list) http://www.chinaresource.org http://www.fluktor.de __________________________________________ To (un)subscribe or to access the searchable archive please go to: http://listserv.uni-heidelberg.de/archives/art-eastasia.html For postings earlier than 2005-02-23 please go to: http://www.fluktor.de/study/office/newsletter.htm