Research on the history of Chinese art has made remarkable progress over the past century in China, the center of this international discipline of studies.

In an essay published in the recent issue of Literature & Art Studies, a bi-monthly Chinese language magazine, Beijing art historian Xue Yongnian gives a detailed survey of the development of research into Chinese art history in the Chinese mainland during the 20th century. Xue, 60, is a professor of Chinese art history from the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

According to Xue, the tradition of Chinese art history studies began as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907) when the book A Record of Famous Paintings in Past Dynasties was written by Zhang Yanyuan in 847. This was more than 700 years earlier than the first book on Western art history, written by Giogio Vasari.

Zhang initiated a tradition of research that emphasized both facts and opinions.

But, Xue notes, the research lost momentum during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Scholars of the periods emphasized historic documentation rather than perceptive thinking.

From 1900-49

In the early 20th century, the situation improved because of the introduction of Western culture, modern education systems, public art museums, art publishing houses, and above all, a "new culture movement" that prevailed in China.

Cai Yuanpei, a famous educator and advocate of the "new culture movement," encouraged art education in society and in universities to build a civilized modern China.

Hoping to invigorate Chinese thinking, scholars enthusiastically introduced Western culture, including Western art history, to China.

In 1912, the term "art history" appeared for the first time in a government document that recommended art history education in teaching colleges nationwide.

Five years later, Jiang Danshu, then a teacher at the No.1 Teachers School of Zhejiang Province, published the first art history textbook that included both Chinese and Western art history.

This book marked a turning point in the research on Chinese art history in the country, Xue wrote.

At least 11 major books on the general history of Chinese art were then published between 1911 and 1949 during the Republic of China period, alongside a much larger number of other publications covering individual artists and trends.

In the past, researchers of Chinese art history were primarily collectors or connoisseurs, who basically recorded artists' biographies and works - especially those of literati artists - rather than carrying out systematic scholarly research.

It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that specialized art historians knowledgeable about both Western and Chinese art appeared. Some of them began paying attention to the history of non-mainstream cave art and crafts done by ordinary artisans, a change from the dominant interest in mainstream art, like literati painting, that previous art scholars focused on.

As well as examining existing documentation, art scholars increasingly used the latest results of archaeological discoveries in their research. Scholars started to become more concerned with the future development of Chinese art in their academic studies. Methods applied in other branches of studies such as anthropology and sociology were also introduced in Chinese art history studies.

From 1949-76

After the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, research into Chinese art history entered a new era.

According to Xue, three critical aspects had an impact on the research of Chinese art history in the period from 1949 to 1976.

First, during this period, international exchanges in the art history studies field were very limited.

Second, in line with national policy, the art history studies circle followed the example of the former Soviet Union, translating art history books by scholars there and sending Chinese students to study art history in the nation.

Third, academic research in the field was carried out under a centralized practice, which enhanced research with scholars' help.

Art historians such as Li Yu, Yan Lichuan, Wang Bomin and Wang Xun are prominent examples of this period.

In 1957, Wang Xun co-founded the Central Academy of Fine Arts' art history department, the first of its kind in a Chinese college.

In his Teaching Guide on Chinese Art History, which has now become a popular art history textbook in art schools nationwide, Wang outlined the development of Chinese painting, sculpture, architecture and crafts. He also emphasized the interplay between art and politics, economy, philosophy, religions, and culture.

As well as textbooks about the general history of Chinese art, many books about the history of specific branches of Chinese art were published in the period, including Ah Ying's A Brief History of Chinese New Year Pictures and Wang Bomin's A History of Chinese Printmaking.

Art historians started using art authentication methods in researching Chinese art history, according to Xue.

In the early 1960s, art authentication experts such as Zhang Heng, Xie Zhiliu and Xu Bangda were invited to appraise ancient Chinese paintings and works of calligraphy or give lectures throughout the country. They set up the framework of modern theories on art authentication.

Unfortunately, research into Chinese art history suffered during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76). Academic research, where it existed, primarily served political purposes, and was not based on historic fact.

m 1976 to Present

In Xue's view, the more than two decades following the "cultural revolution" were a new period of unprecedented international exchanges and constant breakthroughs in research into Chinese art history.

Factors facilitating this were the increased spiritual freedom, schooling standardization and the reform and the country's opening-up drives.

Today, a number of art schools and universities in China have established art history or art studies departments aimed at training postgraduate students in art history and theory.

Among the most prestigious are the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the Hangzhou-based China National Academy of Fine Arts, the Fine Arts Research Institute of the China Academy of Arts, Tsinghua University and Peking University.

Other organizations such as the Palace Museum, the Shanghai Museum and the Shanghai Calligraphy and Painting Press have also become important centers of research into Chinese art history.

As public and private collections have become easier to access, many well-edited catalogues have been published and have been extremely helpful for art historians.

Among the books are The Complete Collection of Chinese Fine Arts, The Complete Collection of Chinese Calligraphy, and Selected Relics in the Collection of the Palace Museum.

Since the early 80s, international exhibitions and symposiums on Chinese art and relics have been held. Chinese and foreign scholars have joined hands in writing important books on Chinese art history, and foreign students have come to study Chinese art history in China.

Two examples of works published in recent years are the eight-volume A General History of Chinese Art with Wang Bomin as the chief editor and the 12-volume Chinese Art History with Wang Zhaowen as chief editor.

Scholars have also shown interest in the history of non-mainstream literati art, court painting, religious art, ethnic minorities art, regional art, and art by women.

Among such books are A History of Chinese Ethnic Minorities Art by Wang Bomin and A History of Chinese Religious Art by a group of scholars.

Studies into late and modern Chinese art have become popular since the 1980s. A History of Chinese Modern Painting by Zhang Shaoxia and Li Xiaoshan and A History of Chinese Modern Art by Lu Peng and Yi Lin are popular now.

In the 1990s, with the emerging Chinese art market, art authentication again became the center of public interest. Scholars such as Shi Shuqing, Li Xueqin, and Chen Zhongyuan have published many books about this.

Two influential exhibitions that compared fake paintings and calligraphy works with authentic ones were held in 1994 and 1996 at the Palace Museum and the Liaoning Museum, with Liu Jiu'an and Yang Renkai as the curators.

In spite of all the progress, Xue points out that museums and archaeological circles should be more open to art historians so that they have more access to view original art works and relics.

As more and more art history researchers graduate from general universities rather than specialized art schools, they should be more aware of the importance of the practice of art creation instead of just sticking to theories.

Xue also stresses that Chinese art historians should not recklessly follow the methods of their Western counterparts but should explore a new road of their own.

(China Daily 05/07/2001)