Shanghai School
Encyclopedia
The Shanghai School is a style of Chinese art present in the late 19th century and centered in Shanghai
. Late 19th century China, or the last years of the Qing dynasty
formed a tumultuous time in China's history. This period immediately followed the defeat of China in the First Opium War
by the British Empire
and opened several ports, such as Shanghai, to foreign trade. This period was further destabilized by the Taiping rebellions and the unequal treaties propagated by the promulgated by European imperialists. Shanghai, as an open city, became a sort of Asian melting pot where the various European powers could freely express their influence on the city. In turn, this influence gave rise to a new middle class which supported a new style of art known as the Shanghai school.
The three hundred years of Chinese art history prior to the advent of the Shanghai School was dominated by the Literati
style exemplified in the paintings of Shen Zhou
in the 16th century. The Shanghai style marked the first major departure from traditionalist Chinese painting by focusing less on the symbolism emphasized by the Literati style and more on the visual content of the painting itself. The inspiration for this new style of painting came from 17th century eccentrics shunned by the Chinese art community at large and 18th Century Yangzhou style painters. However, the Shanghai school was characterized by its even greater form exaggeration and brighter colors. The Shanghai school was unable to gain significant traction against the traditional painting style because of greater Western Interest (and money) in the Literati tradition.
Some important artists of the shanghai school include Zhao Zhiqian
and Ren Yi
.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. Late 19th century China, or the last years of the Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
formed a tumultuous time in China's history. This period immediately followed the defeat of China in the First Opium War
First Opium War
The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...
by the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and opened several ports, such as Shanghai, to foreign trade. This period was further destabilized by the Taiping rebellions and the unequal treaties propagated by the promulgated by European imperialists. Shanghai, as an open city, became a sort of Asian melting pot where the various European powers could freely express their influence on the city. In turn, this influence gave rise to a new middle class which supported a new style of art known as the Shanghai school.
The three hundred years of Chinese art history prior to the advent of the Shanghai School was dominated by the Literati
Literati
Literati may refer to:*Intellectuals or those who read and comment on literature*The scholar-bureaucrats or literati of imperial China**Literati painting, also known as the Southern School of painting, developed by Chinese literati...
style exemplified in the paintings of Shen Zhou
Shen Zhou
Shen Zhou , courtesy name Qinan , was a Chinese painter in the Ming dynasty.-Life:Shen Zhou was born into a wealthy family in Xiangcheng, near the thriving city of Suzhou, in the Jiangsu province, China...
in the 16th century. The Shanghai style marked the first major departure from traditionalist Chinese painting by focusing less on the symbolism emphasized by the Literati style and more on the visual content of the painting itself. The inspiration for this new style of painting came from 17th century eccentrics shunned by the Chinese art community at large and 18th Century Yangzhou style painters. However, the Shanghai school was characterized by its even greater form exaggeration and brighter colors. The Shanghai school was unable to gain significant traction against the traditional painting style because of greater Western Interest (and money) in the Literati tradition.
Some important artists of the shanghai school include Zhao Zhiqian
Zhao Zhiqian
Zhao Zhiqian was a renowned Chinese calligrapher, seal carver and painter in the late Qing Dynasty, "the leading scholar-artist of his day." Zhao's seal carving had profound influence on the later masters, such as Wu Changshuo and Qi Baishi...
and Ren Yi
Rèn Yí
Rèn Yí , also known as Ren Bonian, was a painter and son of a rice merchant who supplemented his income by doing portraits. He was born in Zhejiang, but after the death of his father in 1855 he lived in Shanghai. This move placed him in a more urban world that was exposed to Western thinking...
.