Recently, the "Toward the Light - Tang Yihe Art Retrospective Exhibition" sponsored by the National Art Museum of China was launched.
This exhibition is one of the series of exhibitions of the National Art Museum of China", through the pursuit of Tang Yihe's artistic life, exhibiting 49 oil paintings and drawings of Tang Yihe, 4 works and precious documents collected by the National Art Museum of China.
The exhibition is divided into three chapters: "Seven-Seven Horn , Pioneer of the Times", "Traveling far to the Ocean and Serving the Country with Art" and "Great Love and Selflessness, Donating Treasures of Charity", which comprehensively show Mr. Tang Yihe's exquisite artistic achievements, lofty artistic ideals, fiery patriotic feelings and selfless risk spirit in his short life.
Tang Yihe, born in 1905 in Wuchang, Hubei Province, studied at the Wuchang Art College and the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts. In the spring of 1931, he went to France to study work-study, and was admitted to the École d'Arte école des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he won the "Roma Prize" of the academy. In 1933, Tang Yihe, Chang Shuhong, Qin Xuanfu, Lu Sibai, Zeng Zhushao, Wang Linyi and others initiated the establishment of the "Travel to France Fine Arts Association", and returned to China after graduating in the winter of 1934.
On March 24, 1944, Tang Yihe and his eldest brother Tang Yijing (the principal of Wuchang Art College) took a boat to Chongqing to participate in the "All China Art Society", but unfortunately died due to the overturning of the river wheel, at the age of 39. In June of the same year, the All-China Art Society held the "Exhibition of Tang Yihe's Remains" in Chongqing.
Wu Weishan, member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, director of the National Art Museum of China and vice chairman of the China Artists Association, said that Mr. Tang Yihe was one of the representative figures of the art world in the early work-study movement in France. This experience of the older generation of benevolent people who went to France to study not only accelerated the process of learning the strengths of the West in all fields of Chinese society at that time and using them for their own use, but also made historic contributions to Sino-French friendship. Among the predecessors who repaid the country with art, Mr. Tang Yihe made indelible contributions to the history of Chinese art in the 20th century with his character, learning and art.
"Going to the folk" is Mr. Tang Yihe's artistic creation proposition. Although there are not many works preserved by Mr. Tang Yihe, these relics all show his strong national integrity and lofty artistic pursuits. The classic works he left behind, such as "The Horn of Seven-Seven", "Female Guerrilla", and "Ancestors and Grandchildren", expressed his deep love for the motherland and sympathy for the working people, which not only penetrated the artist's artistic proposition of facing reality and paying attention to the people, but also reflected his belief and spirit of moving forward towards light and justice.
"The Horn of Seven Seven" is one of Mr. Tang Yihe's most important masterpieces, and it is also the first oil painting draft of the "History Of the War of Resistance Against Japan" that he plans to create. On the picture, a literary and art propaganda team composed of students is walking on the streets to carry out anti-Japanese propaganda to save the dead, showing the spiritual outlook of the enthusiastic young people of that era and inspiring more young people to throw themselves into the anti-Japanese torrent.
As Wu Weishan said: "Mr. Tang Yihe uses paintings to record the beauty and ugliness, goodness and injustice he sees in his life. After returning from studying in France, with the rigorous shape of Western realism and the lyrical tone of romanticism, and the creative principles of Chinese painting, he expressed deep love and hatred in exaggerated character modeling and delicate character psychological portrayal. The people's nature and national nature reflected in his works inspired the fighting spirit of the War of Resistance. ”
The National Art Museum of China has a total of 74 paintings and drawings of Tang Yihe, including almost all of Tang Yihe's surviving works. Among them, 63 works are donated by Mr. Tang Yihe's wife, Ms. Xiong Mingqian, in 2007.
The exhibition will run until January 3, 2022.
(All pictures taken by Lu Xue)
Editor-in-charge: Yang Xiaojun