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Section 4. Theory and history of art - European Journal of Arts 4 (2021) - ISSN 2310-5666 -
UDC 78:75(510): «19» DOI: 10.29013/EJA-21-4-153-159
QIU ZHUANGYU 1
1 Kharkiv State Acagemy of Design and Arts, (Kharkiv, Ukraine)
THE THEME OF MUSIC IN CHINESE FIGURATIVE PAINTING OF THE 20 th CENTURY
Abstract
Purpose of the article: to study peculiarities of the theme of music embodiment in oil figurative painting of China.
Research methods: a comprehensive approach has been used using both general and special scientific research methods. Methods of analysis and synthesis, of induction and deduction, of analogy, made it possible to comprehend cultural and artistic contexts which served as a background for the development of Chinese oil art. Methods of art history and iconographic analysis were aimed at determining image constants, devices of shaping the artistic image in the work of Chinese artists.
Results of the research: musical themes image-bearing graphic means in the figurative oil art of China have been determined. It was outlined that the theme of music making can be revealed through the use of special graphic devices characteristic for Eastern and Western painting: first of all, through drawing and paints - their consonance, harmony, accents. Distribution of lines and colours in Chinese artists' paintings is rhythmically consistent, which evokes musical associations.
Scientific novelty. The article for the first time conducted a comprehensive analysis of paintings representing development of the musical theme in the figurative oil art of China. Creative methods of artists Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian, Liu Shaokun, Qi Haiping, Chen Yifei were revealed. It is shown that the artists use simultaneously avantgarde vocabulary elements and traditional national ink painting, which is becoming an important feature of Chinese oil painting. The principles of updating plastic language with musical principles (rhythm, pause, chord, timbre, etc.) have been traced. It is shown that the images of musical instruments in the paintings express certain philosophical ideas and give the works a lyrical and symbolic nature.
Practical application: The results of the research can be used in writing art studies on the history and theory of oriental culture.
Keywords: theme of music, figurative oil painting, Chinese national landscape in ink, European painting, tendencies, Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian, Liu Shaokun, Qi Haiping, Chen Yifei.
For citation: Qiu Zhuangyu. The theme of music in chinese figurative painting of the 20 th century // European Journal ofArts, 2021, №4. - C. 153-159. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29013/EJA-21-4-153-159
Background. The particularities of the Chinese art system are in the exclusive sense of musical principles (rhythm, pause, chord), which is characteristic for calligraphy and oil painting. The gradual rise ofthe fine and musical arts and their interpenetration are associated with the concept of unity, harmony, exceptional sophistication of the Orien t culture aesthetics. This influences the evolution of the thematic repertoire of traditional figurative art and determines the uniqueness ofartistic phenomena in China.
In the history of Chinese art, the images of music making can be traced back to the most ancient times:
rock paintings, paintings oflate Stone Age ceramic vases. Since then, figurative scenes of music making, singing, dancing, and opera performances have not lost their relevance in Chinese painting. 'Coexistence' of virtuality and reality is an aesthetic characteristic that combines Chinese painting and music [4, P. 116].
In the 20 th century, this theme has been developed by such famous artists as Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian, Liu Shaokun, Chen Yifei and others. In Xu Beihong's (18951953) painting 'Xiao Sheng' its composition, the colour scheme of the canvas reveal the figurative world of music
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(pic. 1). In this work, the centre of the composition, its protagonist is placed by the master to the left of the viewer. Such deviation from the centre of the picture creates an extremely unbalanced and strong sense of momentum, both visual and psychological, reinforces the emotional and lyrical theme of the image. Dreamy young girl is playing the flute on the background of a beautiful sunset. Images of exquisite tree branches, summer sky with slowly moving clouds, tiny silhouettes of storks on the horizon contribute to the feeling ofcalm and serenity. This rhythm of the unhurried is also reflected in the character of the heroine. Her pose, with smooth outlines and restrained movement, embodies beauty and sensuality, and can be associated with the quiet and melodic sound of the flute.
Picture 1. Xu Beihong. Xiao Sheng. 1926. Canvas, oil.
80 x 39. Xu Beihong Memorial Collection The works on the music by Lin Fengmian (19001991), who, in contrast to Xu Beihong, showed a special interest in the latest Western currents of 'modernism' [7, P. 47], are notable for their originality. Trying to find the ideal of harmony and spiritual integration between East and West, in his work the artist combined principles of modernist European art of the West with elements of
traditional Chinese ink painting. Conventionality of colour combinations, reverse perspective, stylization of forms can be mentioned as characteristic features of Lin Fengmian's painting.
In the work of this artist 'Girl with a lute' there can be observed an incredible harmony, feminine charm, peace and soulfulness (pic. 2). The lute is one of the most representative instruments in Chinese folk music, symbolizing three spheres - heaven, earth and the underground world; and the five elements - wood, fire, earth, metal and water. While the four strings of the Chinese lute represent the four seasons [4, P. 211]. Playing the Chinese lute can be associated with smooth rhythms of the ancient national architecture, the silvery sound of waterfalls, and folk beliefs. Due to the high degree of sensitivity of the instrument, it has subtle sonority and deep emotional expression. In Chinese culture, playing the Chinese lute was a method of self-improvement, meditation, purification of the mind and spiritual uplift, unity with nature, identification with the values of past generations, a method of 'communication' with divine beings [4, P. 212].
To enhance the atmosphere of comfort, warmth and tranquillity, the artist introduces a vase of daffodils into the image, symbolizing female devotion, purity; wishes of unfading life and love. In the image of the oriental beauty in the ancient national costume there is a shade of sadness and loneliness. The artist uses a square canvas format, which enhances the feeling of balance and harmony.
Picture 2. Lin Fengmian. Girl with a lute. 1960 s. 66 x 68.Taipei Palace Museum
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Picture 3. Lin Fengmian. Music. 1960s. 66.5 x 67.5.
Private collection
In Lin Fengmian's painting 'Music' (Fig. 3), rounded curves of female figures resemble the images of Matisse and Modigliani, whose works the master admired [6, P. 21]. However, on the other hand, women from the artist's paintings imitate ancient images from frescoes and Chinese porcelain articles. The artist organically combines techniques of folklore with methods of Western expressionism [6, P. 23]. With smooth, laconic rhythms, he embodies the gentle, graceful and elegant beauty of oriental women. The shimmer of the colourful surface, which occurs from a skilful combination of transparent and integumentary paints, gives unlimited opportunities for the spatial organization of the composition, emphasizing the rhythmic connections of figures and environment. One of the techniques of the master is contour accentuation of figures. The distribution of lines and colours creates a rhythm similar to music.
The artist introduces into the image symbolic elements characteristic for Chinese art. In the picture 'Music' - they are lotus flowers as personification of spring, purity of thought, nobility and female beauty. According to ancient Chinese beliefs, lotus grows in paradise, in the sky, and is revered as a sacred plant that reaches for light through the darkness [8, P. 7].
Notable for their originality are also the paintings on the theme of music by Liu Shaokun (born in 1946), in which are embodied the best realistic traditions ofChinese oil art of the 20 th century [1, P. 67]. By idealizing life observations, the artist manages to achieve a lyrical-romantic sound ofpaintings. Researchers ofhis work write about the
subtle 'spatial' symbolism of 'Horizontal Lines' and 'Floating Wooden House' compositions (1980 s), and the timeless and dreamy nature of 'Water and Earth' and 'Women's Song' (1990 s) [3, P. 112]. The artist is able to observe and capture the beauty ofreal life. In recent years, the artist - not young by now - pays even more attention to the emotionality and ideology of the image. Meditative and empathetic figures from the master's paintings associatively embody the artist's love for his native land, his people and traditions. Liu Shaokun believes that the canvas is like a big theatrical stage in which the author acts as a screenwriter, director and lighting effects creator [10, P. 16].
In the artist's paintings 'Flutist' (pic. 4) and 'Qiang flute' (pic. 5) some moments of musical performance are represented. Gentle restraint of colour, soft and smooth outlines of the figures contribute to the transfer of melodic rhythm, embodying the complex state of mind of the characters, their fascination with the magical sounds of the flute. The flute is the oldest musical instrument, which is rightly considered the ancestor of all wind instruments [4, P. 108]. It has a long and vivid history, so it is not surprising that it attracted attention of not only composers but also painters.
In his compositions, the master most often depicts girls playing the flute (pic. 4). Young musicians can be perceived as an 'inner feeling' of a musical composition. The girl is very young and fragile, but her posture and look give a serious attitude to music making. She is focused on the playing, at this moment there is only a flute melody for her. Sometimes Liu Shaokun portrays elder musicians tenderly clasping a flute to their bodies. The musical instrument seems to be the only meaning of their life, because it is in music that they find admiration and consolation (pic. 5).
Picture 4. Liu Shaokun. Flutist. Canvas, oil. 2012. 75 x 135. Private collection
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Picture 5. Liu Shaokun. Qiang flute. Canvas, oil. 2017.
110 x 120. National Art Museum of China
Involvement of abstract forms, unusual contrasting combinations of lines and spots into musical theme figured compositions is a characteristic of Qi Haiping's creative style. The artist was born in 1957 in Changchun, Jilin Province, China. In 1982 he graduated from the art department at the Guangxi Academy of Arts, and later continued his professional studies at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (Beijing) [5, P. 81].
In the figurative compositions of the master, the 'black and white symphony' of colour sounding asso-ciatively resembles a musical timbre (pic. 5-6). The musicians seem to be enveloped in an uncontrollable whirlwind that wraps up their figures. Starting with the white lumen of the blank canvas, silver lines and small spots, the artist accelerates the rhythm, translating the image into a thick black vortex, from which the figures ofplaying musicians come out. Having found an original compositional solution, the master managed to reproduce not the action itself, but the emotionality of the musical composition and of its performing.
In the series of paintings, images of the orchestra, groups of musicians, the environment is perceived as a single monolithic mass. The artist successfully adheres to the main 'axis line' of the composition, to the general diagonal rhythm, which contributes to the integrity of the work of art. Qi Haiping's main goal is to convey the inner impression of the concert, to try to translate the acoustic musical feeling into the visual language ofpaint-ing, to find the pictorial equivalent of the concert. He deliberately deprives the characters of their individuality, giving them almost identical facial features and physique, so that musicians are perceived by an audience as
a whole. The spectacular colour scheme of the canvas based on the contrast ofwhite, black and red is typical for the master's work and follows the principles of Chinese national ink painting.
Picture 6. Qi Haiping. Symphony of Black and White. Canvas, oil. 2011. 145 x 112. Private collection
Picture 7. Qi Haiping. Black theme No.7. 1992.
Canvas, oil. 50 x 61. Private collection
Chen Yifei's (1946-2005) works on musical theme follow the imitation of photorealistic style, perceived when Chinese artists were making acquaintance with the American and European school of photorealism. Chen Yifei is one of the central figures in the development of Chinese oil painting. The artist was born in 1946 in Ningbo, it is in the coastal province of Zhejiang. When
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he was a child, his family moved to Shanghai, where he graduated from the College of Art in 1965 [2, P. 91].
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Picture 8. Chen Yifei. Girls. 120 x 170. 1990 s.
Private collection
Adherence to the photorealistic style revealed new possibilities of the figurative genre, such as transfer of the smallest details of the appearance of the characters, the texture of national clothing, the materiality of mu-
sical instruments. In the large canvas of 'Girls', a light leisurely movement of the composition unfolds from right to left, which 'sounds' like pensive music (pic. 8). In Chen Yifei's paintings, the woman is treated as a fragile creature, whose world of feelings is filled with many psychological nuances. By carefully reproducing the intermediate state of movement, suspended in time, the artist gives an opportunity to feel the lyrical mood of the girls. In turn, such a meaningful content of the female image is characteristic for the traditional interpretation of female nature, which is widely represented in the centuries-old artistic heritage of China. The perfect image of maiden figures is complemented by the master with the exquisite linear formations on women's long national dresses. The ornamental rhythm seems to 'pick up' the magical rhythm of the musical sound. Rich, shimmering precious overflows of violet and red shades represented in women's clothing are perceived as notes and chords of the melody.
Thus, each of the introduced artists interpreted, in his work, the theme of music in his own way. Paintings on the musical themes of Chinese artists evoke philosophical thoughts in the viewer, give birth to memories, vague or more or less clear pictures of a melody once heard. As common feature of all analysed paintings we can name the attempt not to embody the image of individual performers, but to convey the feeling of music in the aesthetic sense - as the 'melody in the soul', the 'music of the heart.
References
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An Album of Contemporary Chinese Paintings / Ed. by Li Xiangping.- Beijing: China Intercontinental Press, 2009.- 141 p.
Chinese art since 1980 / Editor in Chief Fan Di'an, Curator of the National Art Museum of China.- Zhejiang: Fine Arts Press, 2015.- 246 p.
Julia F. Andrews, Kuiyi Shen. The Art of Modern China. United States,- Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012.- 384 p.
Lai Karyn L. An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy.- Cambridge University Press, 2017.- 374 p. Sullivan M. Modern Chinese Artists: A Biographical Dictionary. Berkeley - Los Angeles - London: University of California Press, 2006. - 274 p.
ft^^^SWft^i, 2010.- 262K. (Wang Xiao. Lin Fengmian. Beijing: Culture & Art Publishers, 2010.- 262 p.)
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artist. Guangzhou: Guangdong & Guangxi Fine Arts Publishers, 2013. - 195 p.)
ft^: X^^^ft^i, 2005.- 34K. (Lin Fengmian. Beijing: Art & Trade Publishers, 2005.- 34 p.) Mft: ^M. MM. ft^: X^^^ftMi,2004.- 256^. (Wang Huanqing, Li Shijin. Oil Painting Collection: Realist Oil Painting. Landscape. Beijing: Art & Trade Publishers, 2004.- 256 p.) 10. Mm&ft&M. *|Jfttei: Tffi^^ft^i, 2012.- 96^. (Liu Shaokun. Water and
Earth: Liu Shaokun's Works Collection. Guangxi Fine Arts Publishers, 2012.- 96 p.)
European Journal of Arts 4 (2021) - PREM|ER Section 4. Theory and history of art - ISSN 2310-5666 -
Information about the authors
Qiu Zhuangyu, Graduate Student of the Department of Painting, Kharkov State Academy of Design and Arts, Kharkov, Ukraine
Address: 61002, Ukraine, Kharkiv, street Arts, 8
E-mail: qiuzhuangyu@gmail.com; Tel.: +38 (098) 43-84-05
ORCID: 0000-0002-9003-1294
ЦЮ ЧЖУАНЮЙ 1
1 Харшвська державна академiя дизайну i мистецтв (XapKie, Украша)
ТЕМА МУЗИКИ В КИТАЙСЬКОМУ Ф1ГУРАТИВНОМУ ЖИВОПИСУ XX СТОЛ1ТТЯ
Анотаця
Цыь до^дження: полягае у вивченш особливостей втглення теми музики в олшному фiгуративному живопису Китаю.
Методи до^дження: використаний комплексний тда!д i3 застосуванням як загальнонаукових, так i спецiальних методiв дослiдження. Методи аналiзу i синтезу, шдукцп i дедукцп, аналоги дали змогу осмислити культурно-мистецью контексти, на тлi яких розвивалось китайське олшне мистецтво. Методи мистецтвознавчого й iконографiчного аналiзу направленi на визначення образних констант, прийомiв формотворення художнього образу в творчостi китайських художникiв.
Результаты до^дження: визначено образно-зображальш засоби музично'1' тематики в ф^уративному олiйному мистецтвi Китаю. Окреслено, що тема музикування розкриваеться завдяки використанню особливих образотворчих прийомiв, характерних сх^ному i захiдному живопису. Перш за все, малюнком i фарбами - ix спiвзвучнiстю, гармонiйнiстю, акцентами. Розподглення лiнiй i кольорiв в картинах китайських митщв ритмiчно узгодженi, що викликае музичнi асощаци.
Наукова новизна. У статп вперше проведений комплексний анамз картин, що представляють розвиток теми музики в ф^уративному олшному мистецтвi Китаю. Виявленi творчi методи митщв Сюй Бейхуна, Лiн Фенгмяна, Лю Шаокуна Цi Хайпiна, Чень 1фея. Показано одночасне використання художниками елеменив авангардно'1' лексики i традицшного нацiонального живопису тушшю, що стае важливою прикметою олiйного живопису Китаю. Простежеш принципи оновлення пластично'1' мови музичними принципами (ритм, пауза, акорд, тембр та ш.). Показано, що зображення музичних iнструментiв в картинах виражають певш фiлософськi
i додають роботам лiрично-символiчного характеру.
Практичне застосування: Результата досл!дження можуть бути використаш при написаннi мистецтвознавчих досмджень з штори i теори сх^но'1' культури.
Ключов1 слова: тема музики, ф^уративний олiйний живопис, китайський нащональний пейзаж тушшю, европейський живопис, тенденци, Сюй Бейхун, Лiн Фенгмян, Лю Шаокунь, Цi Хайпiн, Чень 1фей.
1нформац1я про автор1в
Цю Чжуанъю, аспiрант кафедри живопису, Харкiвська державна академiя дизайну i мистецтв, Харюв, Украша Адреса: 61002, Украша, м. Харюв, вул. Мистецтва, 8 E-mail: qiuzhuangyu@gmail.com; Tel.: +38 (098) 43-84-05 ORCID: 0000-0002-9003-1294
ЦЮ ЧЖУАНЮЙ ТЕМА МУЗИКИ В КИТАЙСЬКОМУ Ф1ГУРАТИВНОМУЖИВОПИСУ XX СТОЛ1ТТЯ 158
Contents - ¡^MIER European Journal of Arts 4 (2021) - ISSN 2310-5666 -
Contents
Section 1. Visual, decorrative and applied arts.........................................3
M. M. Kovalova, Ye. A. Fediun
EDUCATIONAL PAINTING WORKS OF STUDENTS OF THE OUTSTANDING
UKRAINIAN ARTIST BORYS KOSAREV IN THE1950s - 1970s..........................................3
Section 2. Musical arts...............................................................9
M. I. Haiduk
POST-WAR LYRICS: EDWARD ELGAR'S CELLO CONCERTO
IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS TIME.......................................................................9
S. H. Dikariev
"CARMEN FANTASY" FOR DOUBLE BASS AND PIANO BY
F. PROTO: INTERPRETATION AS A NEW LOOK AT OPERA..........................................19
ZhangQi
J. COLTRANE'S TECHNIQUE OF "SOUND LAYERS" IN THE ASPECT OF
PERFORMANCE STYLE ANALYSIS....................................................................25
D. V. Kashuba
MUSICAL AND EXTRAMUSICAL IN GENRE STRUCTURE
OF INSTRUMENTAL CONCERTO....................................................................32
Ye. P. Kemenchedgy
ART PROJECT "COMPOSERS OF ZAPORIZHZHIA INVITE..."
AS A FACTOR OF THE MODERN MUSICAL LIFE OF THE REGION..................................40
T. I. Kyselova
THE STAGES OF THE PERFORMANCE MODELING OF THE OPERA CHORAL
SCENES (BASED ON THE OPERA "LA JUIVE" BY F. HALEVY)........................................47
P. A. Kordovska
THE COMPOSER'S CREATIVE INDIVIDUALITY IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE
PROJECTIVITY (BASED ON SALVATORE SCIARRINO'S WORKS)....................................53
A. I. Lyubimova
EXPERIENCE OF FOLK SINGING CULTURE STUDIES IN THE AREA OF THE
DNIEPER RIVER RAPIDS IN THE XXI CENTURY.....................................................64
V. Yu. Melnyk
"IBERIA": MUSIC OF I. ALBENIS IN THE K. SAURA'S LENS...........................................71
O. Yu. Mironenko-Mikheyshina
RHYTHMS OF POETRY AND PROSE AS STRUCTURAL MODELS OF A TEMPORARY
ORGANIZATION IN THE WORKS OF V. LUTOSLAWSKI 1960 s - 1990 s..............................78
A. R. Nemerko
CANON FORM IN VOCAL AND CHORAL PIECES BY LVIV COMPOSERS OF THE XX
1ST CENTURY FOR CHILDREN.......................................................................87
V. I. Petryk
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE STYLE OF MARTIN FROST...........................................96
O. Yu. Sydorenko
CHAMBER VIOLIN SONATA IN PERFORMING VERSIONS: TYPOLOGICAL ASPECT..............103
