Features of artistic presentation of images of people's leaders in the context of the development of the system of realistic painting in China in the XX – early XXI century

Khan' Dun Postgraduate student; Department of Art History and Pedagogy of Art; A.I. Herzen Russian State University 191186, Russia, Saint Petersburg, nab. Moika River, 48, room 6, room 57 handong@rambler.ru

Modern Chinese painting is currently in a stage of rapid development, acquiring features that significantly distinguish it from both traditional art and Western trends in the art world. For Chinese artists, it is extremely important to find ways to convey their attitude to social reality, to the people around them. Their work is closely related to what is happening in society, the country, and the world. The process of the origin and development of this approach became obvious at the turn of the XX – XXI centuries, when exhibitions of "century–old art" began to be held in different cities - retrospective thematic or monographic projects showing the line of development of the creativity of masters of the past and present. Moreover, this applies not only to painting, but also to sculpture, graphics, installations, photographs, videos and other types of media art.

In fact, at present, the two sides of the artistic creativity of Chinese artists are connected – "art and people" and "art and society". This determines the specifics of their work: on the one hand, it asserts the idea of creative freedom, the right of masters to their vision, choice of themes, plots, motives, means of their embodiment and presentation to society, which is largely due to the trends of modernism and the desire to escape from the limitations of the Cultural Revolution. Thus, artists become isolated from society, become more autonomous from it. On the other hand, the masters themselves strive for a close connection with society and reality, since, as noted above, they perceive art as a way of reflecting the changes taking place in the world, which is an echo of the principles of romantic realism of the 1950s and 1960s and a later "lyrical" version, which continues to this day. Moreover, this approach is a kind of response to the waves of globalization, the result of the desire to avoid the loss of national identity, an indicator of the search for one's own path in response to the real demands of society. The study of this phenomenon is an urgent area of modern art studies, including Russian, since in comparison it allows us to better understand the mechanisms that determine the specifics of our own art world and the ways of its further formation. In addition, there are long-standing ties between the art worlds of Russia and China, which are currently developing.

This can be confirmed by Russian–language studies of recent years, including those concerning the development of Chinese painting in the second half of the XX - early XXI centuries. Among the authors who addressed the image of man in Chinese painting, it should be noted H. Bin ^[1], Song Yi Tsai ^[2], C. Mi ^[3], V. V. Volobuyeva ^[4], M. E. Bogadelin ^[5], V. Jitai ^[6], E. P. Muzareva ^[7], Yu. Lu and Ch. Liao ^[8], V. Cui ^[9], V. Shuye ^[10], G. S. Gultyaev ^[11] and others. These researchers consider the issue indirectly, in the context of the development of national art, only touching on the forms of representation of this figurative system. However, they note that it directly depends on the current time of ideas, philosophical ideas, the political situation and other factors. Much attention is paid to how Chinese painters interpret their characters, how they perceive and understand them through the prism of the surrounding reality, as well as historical experience. In 2023, Yu Wei defended her dissertation in Russian on the representation of women in Chinese painting. The scientist believes that it "is not limited to reflecting the world around it, it is the result of an artistic generalization of ideas about the concept of beauty, about love, platonic and bodily, about the ratio of the sexes, about the place of a woman in society, her social roles. The variety of interpretations here is also determined by the nature of the development of the national cultural tradition" ^[12]. Thus, interest in the subject of research is growing in Russian art studies, however, the developing discourse requires additional information and materials, which are presented in this publication, as well as an assessment of artistic means and ideological content used by Chinese painters in interpreting and presenting the image of a leader.

The purpose of this article is to show by the example of a specific image system, namely the image of the people's leader, how the authors' attitude to the ideological content and methods of artistic presentation has changed. Two genres were chosen as the reference material, within which the specified image is most vividly represented – portrait and story painting ^[13]. Exhibitions of Chinese contemporary art rarely do without these genres. These are often one of the key sections of the exposition, the most important elements of the narrative that unfolds in front of the viewer. Moreover, in the 20th century, realistic portrait and thematic figurative painting established themselves and gained an independent status in Chinese art, becoming the most in demand.

The features of the artistic presentation of images of people's leaders are considered in the context of the development of the system of realistic painting in China of the XX – early XXI centuries. This system refers to the interrelation of the most popular genres, techniques, schools, and authors in the context of socio-cultural determinants. Its formation was launched at the beginning of the last century, when Chinese authors began to actively integrate Japanese, American and Western European ideas, trends, techniques and materials, tools into their own work. Realism became the most sought-after of the artistic methods, and subsequently turned into a necessary base for the training of future artists. At that time, under the influence of many dangers, including wars, artists turned to images of people in moments of suffering, among which the hero and leader was understood to be someone who is able to withstand the onslaught of a hostile force.

After the formation of the People's Republic of China, within the framework of a new literary and artistic system, artists turned to new themes reflecting the revolutionary transformations around them. One of the key lines among them was the images of popular leaders. The latter began to be created in accordance with the principles of realism, especially in connection with the influence of the Russian-Soviet art school. The latter contributed to the growth of interest on the part of Chinese masters, including those trained by artists from the USSR, in the genre of portrait and story painting, which embodied the images of contemporaries, especially those who could be called people's leaders. This was influenced by familiarity with the principles of the method of socialist realism ^[14]. Even sketches and sketches, easel compositions by Soviet painters who worked in China, are mainly portraits of Chinese people they know, representatives of the creative intelligentsia, as well as images of statesmen.

It should be noted that in China there is a concept of "people's leader" – this is an honorary title, the holders of which are Chairman of the Communist Party of China Mao Zedong (from 1949 to 1976), Chairman of the CPC Central Committee Hua Guofeng (from 1976 to 1981), and then General Secretary Xi Jinping (from 2012 to the present). The images of these people, fueled by the system of state propaganda and ideology, as well as often quite sincere love and reverence of citizens, have become the subjects of attention of many painters ^{[15, p. 116]}. For them, as well as representatives of other types of art, these images opened up the opportunity to pay tribute to the leaders, to fulfill a state order. It was a way to reflect the turning points in the history of the New China, the formation of its statehood, in the form of portraits of leaders and story compositions with leaders surrounded by the people.

In many ways, Jin Shangyi's paintings became models for the masters of subsequent periods. In them, the artist consistently developed means of representing the people's leader Mao in the space of a ceremonial, historical portrait and a "revolutionary historical painting". His activity began in the 1960s, when the young master created such compositions as "Farewell", "Our friends from all over the world", "December Meeting" and "The Great Campaign". The influence of the Russian-Soviet art school is noticeable in these works, which is not surprising, since Jin Shangyi studied in the workshop of K. M. Maksimov. The "teacher's hand" affects the painter's approach to the characters that are put at the forefront of his mind. Their characteristics are more important than the plot itself: the artist focuses on the characters, their faces, gestures, poses that express different emotions, thoughts, ideas. By doing this, he engages the viewer in the action, makes them perceive the events of the revolutionary past as something close and understandable, thereby actualizing them.

If at the beginning of Jin Shangyi's creative career, like many of his colleagues, he gravitated towards large multi-figure compositions, then later he became more inclined to search for simpler, concise solutions with a small number of figures. This led him to become interested in portraits, including historical ones. The most famous among such works are "Portrait of Prime Minister Zhou Enlai at the top of the World", "Chairman Mao at the December meeting", etc. These portraits of leaders make up not just a gallery of images of prominent figures of the country, but also an interpretation of its history.

The portrait "Chairman Mao at the December meeting" depicts the leader at the moment of a public speech (see Fig. 1). The author deliberately chooses the angle from below, so that the figure of the model seems to rise above the viewer. At the same time, he uses a waist version, which allows him to make the image even more majestic. The gray color of the suit evokes associations with a stone, a rock, a mountain. Indeed, the model is motionless and monumental from below, but in the upper part the author introduces expression: the movement of the right hand directed towards the viewer, the turn of the head to the right. The sweetness of the red cloth (stage curtain) behind brings a certain dynamism, especially due to the rhythmic alternation of strokes. Jin Shangyi chooses the color scheme in accordance with the tasks of monumental painting, hoping that the portrait will be in a large space and perceived from afar. The artist conveys the image with a combination of light gray and shades of brown, and decides on the backdrop in rich red with gray highlights that allow you to shade the foreground. Such a vivid contrast creates a strict and solemn mood at the same time. The strokes are used quite smooth when solving the leader's face and hands, but the clothes and background are written with active, textured strokes, which gives the image a certain tension in terms of emotional perception. This is echoed by the concentrated expression of the hero's face, which is captured in the process of addressing people. Later, the author will repeat this compositional scheme, but already in the thematic painting "December Party Meeting" (1977). He will turn the three-quarter figure towards the party members. The color will also change: due to the bright light pouring from the window, the image will be solved in light and cold shades of gray, which will radically change its mood in favor of a joyful, positive one. Such a presentation is clearly related to the trends preceding the end of the Cultural Revolution.

During the period of strengthening the dictate of power in the field of art in 1966, a completely different image of the same leader will be created – this is a "Full-length Portrait of Chairman Mao" (see Fig. 2). In it, the presentation form is different: a growth composition on a neutral background, the absence of expressive movements and emotions. The model is shown not at the time of active revolutionary activity, struggle, but during the period of leadership of the country. At that time, a demonstration of activity and impetuosity was no longer required, on the contrary, society needed an image of a leader who was confident in his decisions, full of self-esteem, and composure. In response to a similar request, Jin Shangyi created this monumental image based on modern photographs of Mao. Moreover, during that period, many artists used his photographs to create lifetime images of the country's leader, including for annually updated portraits on Tiananmen Square ^{[16, p. 78]}. The similarity between them and the portrait by Jin Shangyi is obvious, which indicates the formation of strict rules in the artistic transmission of this image by that time. However, in the story painting, the authors could still violate them. So, Jin Shangyi, relying on an already existing growth figure, inscribes it into the composition of the painting "Chairman Mao inspects the third Shanghai Metallurgical Plant" (1970s, Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution). At the same time, he radically changes the emotional mood of the model, which does not look majestic and solemn, but smiles in response to the workers' appeal. The latter stand on the left and right flanks, forming a frontal formation resembling the compositional solutions of friezes.

Fig. 1. – Jin Shanyi. Chairman Mao at the December meeting." 1961. Oil on canvas, 180 x 120 cm. Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution

Fig. 2. – Jin Shangyi. A full-length portrait of Chairman Mao. Oil on canvas, 200 x 120 cm. 1966. Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution

The concept of a people's leader then, as now, is quite mobile. He is not only a statesman, but also a person capable of leading the masses of people and educating by example. This approach significantly expands the visual range of the study, since it includes not only portraits and genre compositions with leaders, but also images of socially significant, but not specific personalities, but collective images – soldiers, workers, peasants, scientists and cultural figures ^{[17, p. 362]}. It is important to note that Chinese artists mainly tried to depict such characters not alone, but in a team. This was necessary from the standpoint of the same ideology, which asserts the need to establish national unity in building a new world. There is no doubt that in Chinese realistic painting of the middle of the XX century there are many similar images imbued with the pathos of struggle.

However, among them there is a special line associated with a kind of "humanization" of such heroes. One of its initiators was Wang Chengyi, also a student of K. M. Maksimov. The graduation work of the first one, entitled "Letter", attracted great attention from the public (see Figure 3). During the completion of his studies, the Soviet artist advised the novice painter to go to the northern parts of the country, where at that time Chinese youth were engaged in active construction, reminiscent of Soviet all-Union construction sites, and also mastered fertile wastelands. Following the advice, Wang Chengyi went to the Lobei Desert District of Heilongjiang Province. There the painter lived with his heroes – builders of irrigation systems, made sketches, sketches, sketches, where scenes of their work, reading, eating, bathing, playing the piano, etc. were shown.

In addition, the artist discovered that the moment when the postman delivers a letter is the most exciting and joyful for each member of the team. The author set out to depict in an easel composition how each of his characters experiences when they receive a message: anxiety, joy, disappointment, etc. It is known that when working on the composition, he relied on the works of Russian artists-wanderers, the approach to interpreting the image of the hero as the creator of a new world – humane, simple, close to people, capable of subtly feeling – was very close to him. The desire to convey exactly this influenced the picturesque structure of the canvas. The master refuses to use a smooth brushstroke in it, preferring a wide, pronounced, almost impressionistic one. The brush movements are multidirectional, going up and vertically, then horizontally. It all depends on the nature of the surface. At the same time, the composition is extremely balanced. The horizontally oriented format allows you to place the shapes in the foreground. A kind of reference point for the viewer's view of the picture is a girl reading a letter, and then the main group stands around the postman. Each of the characters is immersed in his own thoughts. Only after getting to know them, attention begins to fall on individual details that speak about the difficulties of young people's everyday life: a tent, dishes, drying clothes, a hastily put together bench. In the distance there are horses, a tractor and the vast expanses of the desert, which is cruel in terms of living conditions. Its heat and inhospitality are conveyed through a warm, yellow-ochre color, which is enhanced by fragments of gray-white shades (paper, costume elements, mountains and sky).

Fig. 3. – Wang Chengyi. Letter. 1957. Oil on canvas, 120 x 200 cm. The Art Museum of the Central Academy of Arts

The creative path of Jin Shangyi, Wang Chengyi and other Chinese artists of that time changed significantly after the onset of the period of reform and openness, or rather since the 1980s. Subject painting, which was a priority at the time of active appeal to realism, faded into the background, as many authors, fascinated by modernist trends, began to turn to other genres. Meanwhile, the images of the leaders continued to be created, including in a realistic way. However, the former revolutionary romanticized realism acquired a different character, more personal and lyrical ^{[18, p. 38]}. He was also fueled by the authors' impressions of acquaintance with Western Impressionism, post-Impressionism and modern art. The style of many painters has changed. For example, Wang Chenyi got the opportunity to deviate from strict rules and show his feelings, impressions, feelings, reflections from the depicted hero, that is, he focused on the inner state. The master believed that "the art of painting should differ from natural things" ^[19], therefore, saturated contrasts appeared in his subject compositions and portraits in conditions of intentionally limited color gamut, and the forms became more planar, simple, generalized, expressionistic.

In this spirit, two iconic paintings of the artist were solved: "Strange Injustices through the Centuries" (1983, the Art Museum of the Central Academy of Arts) and "The Fertile Land of Shenzhou" (1989, the Art Museum of the Central Academy of Arts) (see Fig. 4). In them, the heroes of the nation, the warriors who fought for the freedom of the country during wars and revolutions, are shown not at the moment of committing a feat, but when they have already sacrificed themselves for the common good. The artist focuses on their lifeless bodies, sprawled against a background rich in color and shapes of nature. Thus, he invites the viewer to decide for himself how justified their death was. Such works are indicators of changes in the perception and understanding of the image of the people's leader, an attempt to rethink their attitude to the period of the revolutionary struggle, which previously was almost the main source of images of leaders for realistic painting. If earlier the heroes served as an absolute and unquestioning example by their actions, now their sacrifice should arouse sympathy and prompt reflection. It is noteworthy that Wang Chenyi's works, which are separated by several years, are different in style. The first is dark, contrasting, expressive, giving rise to complex, heavy thoughts, and the second, on the contrary, is soft and light in color, simpler in terms of compositional solution. In the first case, the soldiers seem to merge with the rocks, and in the second, they stand out against the background of loose, greasy earth in color and glow. It is obvious that the chosen topic has been conceptualized by the author for many years, and the way of its presentation has changed in accordance with the transformation of his vision.

Fig. 4. – Wang Chengyi. The fertile land of Shenzhou. 1989. Oil on canvas, 120 x 190 cm. The Art Museum of the Central Academy of Arts.

Based on this example, it can be argued that the image system associated with images of popular leaders continued to exist and develop, but under the influence of new trends. The paintings of Wang Chenyi and many of his other contemporaries are the result of the emergence of a new variation of realism in Chinese painting, which is increasingly referred to as "lyrical" ^{[18, p. 38]}. He focuses mainly on emotional expression through color, composition and form. Images in such canvases are a way to evoke a response from the viewer, and at the forefront are no longer plot compositions, but a portrait. An example of such a turn can be the above-mentioned Jin Shangyi, who, since the 1980s, has created a number of portrait images, in particular "Tajik Bride", "Young Singer", "Qu Qiubai", "Portrait of a doctor", "Artist" and "Huang Binhong in recent years", etc. The master, who previously created monumental, majestic images of Leader Mao and his associates, focuses on the images of ordinary people, trying to make them collective. For an artist, a specific person, a model, is not important, since he makes up a gallery of types of people's leaders who contribute to the construction of a new world every day with their work. The master still uses a waist section, a three-quarter or full-face turn, bright lighting that snatches the figure out of the twilight, a neutral blank background. It should be noted that the painter is interested in hyperrealism, striving for precision, demonstrating high skill.

Modern Chinese realistic painting is characterized by the combination of several artistic languages at once, and the frequent inclusion of modernist features. Moreover, the two ways of developing artistic creativity that have now become established, related to the depiction of reality and going beyond it, although they define very conditional differences in forms of expression, but they retain a common goal: to express an understanding and feeling of life, as well as reflections on the world through art. The modern leader in the interpretation of artists is always a study of the identity of the model in the context of society, as well as the author's way of communicating with the world, for which unexpected means of presentation are often chosen.

A typical example of this approach is the painting "Roar" by Liu Xiaodong (see Fig. 5). The artist explored ancient villages and towns in the north of Shaanxi Province, got acquainted with the way of life of local people, and also encountered scenes of conflict between different generations – the old, active and creative, and the new, ideological and passive ^{[20, p. 26]}. Based on his observations, sketches and portrait studies, the author created a composition with a mise en scene in the middle of an old brick building, behind the arch of which you can see the sun-dried grass and hills in the distance, as well as the blue sky. The foreground tuning fork is an old man walking away from a gathering of elderly people and criticizing a young man. It is like a counterweight, the antipode is located on the left side of the canvas. He is lying relaxed on a lush floral blanket spread on the lap of grandmothers. In a moralizing way, Liu Xiaodong talks about the urgent problem of modern Chinese society related to the lack of models that educate young people by example.

Fig. 5. – Liu Xiaodong. Roar. Oil on canvas, 200 x 180 cm. 2021. A private collection. https://finance.sina.cn/2023-08-23/detail-imzicyun1046081.d.html

Meanwhile, Chinese art is still searching for new means of presenting modern leaders. Now two paths are clearly emerging: portrait images of "important characters", primarily entrepreneurs and statesmen who have contributed to society, and story compositions with ordinary people who work for the benefit of the people. The first one is positioned in the works of Jin Shangyi, Zhang Jianjun, Zhu Naizheng, Quan Shanshi, Yang Feiyun, etc. It is important to note that portraitists do not seek to emphasize the special status of models, their difference from others, on the contrary, they show them in an ordinary setting, like everyone else, without highlighting any special features, characteristics. This feels like a continuation of the line of collective images. For example, Yang Feiyun in the painting "Shanxi", like Liu Xiaodong, depicts representatives of two generations united by a common cause – work on the land (see Fig. 6). It draws attention to the fact that the images here are monumental, majestic, which is transmitted through the poses of athletic bodies, expressive looks, rather local color. It is obvious that the master refers to the samples of Western European classical art.

Lee Yuwan, portraying firefighter heroes, goes the same way. His storyline painting "Mission" clearly uses expressive techniques of fresco painting, both Chinese and Western ^{[21, p. 68]}. Courageous and strong fighters with fire are facing someone, someone in half a turn, or even with their back to the viewer (see Fig. 7). The artist seems to suggest thinking about how ordinary everyday life and mortal danger combine in their inner world.

Fig. 6. – Yang Feiyun. Shanxi. Oil on canvas, 200 x 120 cm. 2011. A private collection.

Fig. 7. – Li Yuwan. The mission. Oil on canvas, 200 x 180 cm. 2010s. A private collection.

The image of the leader in Chinese painting is closely related to realism, as it assumes a fairly accurate depiction of a person, both portrait and within the framework of a historical painting. The changes in the first one were the results of a transformation in the attitude of artists towards approaches and methods of artistic expression. In the first half and the middle of the 20th century, there was a predominance of paintings on the themes of the revolutionary and liberation struggle, where the leader was shown as a hero fighting or sacrificing himself in the name of the people. Since the 1960s, new heroes have appeared - creators of the world, who not only work for the common good, but also feel, worry, doubt. This is due to the emergence of the "lyrical" line in the development of realistic painting. At the same time, the iconography of portraits of party leaders was formed, the images of which are characterized by monumentality and solemnity. At the same time, the transfer of their images into multi-figure compositions radically changed the mood of their images to a more joyful, positive one. A new round of changes has been associated with the 1980s, when Chinese painters, in the wake of liberalization, began to look for an original language of artistic expression and images of other heroes. It is important to note that during that period the image of an antihero arises, which, by its passivity, unwillingness to create, is opposed to an active, active principle.

Transformations also occur in the portrait, which asserts the desire to create a gallery of collective images of outstanding people of the era. The leaders in the gradually reviving subject painting are ordinary people who work and risk their lives every day. The painters present them to the public in a form reminiscent of the images of the heroes of classical European paintings and frescoes of the XVI–XIX centuries. It is obvious that the image system associated with popular leaders is formed on the basis of traditions that developed in the last century and Western trends. The images created by Chinese artists are related to how they see and understand the portrait, the human body, life, modernism and other issues of the art world. The example of their work shows continuous and deep reflections on the relationship between art, people and society, which are visualized in a realistic way.

Thus, in this article, using the example of the works of Chinese painters of the second half of the XX – early XXI centuries, which are significant from the point of view of the author of the study, the process of forming and changing the ways of presentation and ideological filling of the image of the leader in Chinese painting of the specified period, its elements and structure, which introduces additional information and materials into the emerging Chinese and Russian art criticism scientific discourse. Meanwhile, it is important to clarify that the obtained research result is limited to certain features, further study of which requires the selection and expansion of empirical material, improvement of methodology, organization of comprehensive systematic studies of the actualized problem, etc., which will be reflected in subsequent publications of the author.