Decoding Chinese Oil Painting
Entering the 20th century, cultural differences between China and the West
were dramatic. Chinese art has had to make a gradual transformation from its
classical form to a become a modern artistic medium.
During the past century, generations of Chinese artists exerted their utmost
efforts to transform art from ancient Chinese civilizations into modern works.
And then a new cultural factor -- oil painting -- entered China's art family,
providing a new appearance to artistic works, growing into an indispensable
artistic flower.
The difficult rough course running throughout the years exhausted five
generations of painters' painstaking efforts, composing a solemn and stirring
symphony in oils.
First stage in the Qing and Ming
Dynasty (1542AD- 1899AD)

Churchmen brought oil painting to China from the West during the Ming and
Qing dynasties.
Representative figure: Giuseppe Castiglione ( Lang Shining in Chinese), an
Italian Jesuit missionary who came to Beijing
as a missionary became royal chief artist in Kang Xi's reign of the Qing
Dynasty .
Representative work: " Xiang Fei Rong Zhuang Tu" (Painting of Xiang Fei in
military uniform, made in the 1920s or 1930s).
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