At the beginning of the 20th century, Xu Beihong introduced Western painting into the teaching of Chinese art. This act of his has caused widespread controversy and discussion in the Chinese art world. On the one hand, proponents believe that it is an innovation and fusion that can bring new elements and styles to Chinese painting, making it more diverse and modern. They believe that Xu Beihong's approach is to absorb the techniques and concepts of Western painting on the basis of preserving the tradition of Chinese painting, thus creating a new artistic style, which has both the charm of Chinese painting and the delicacy and expressiveness of Western painting.
On the other hand, opponents believe that Xu Beihong's actions are a sabotage and subversion of the tradition of Chinese painting. They believe that Chinese painting has a long history and profound cultural heritage, and should be protected and inherited, rather than being arbitrarily changed and destroyed. They believed that the introduction of Western painting would destroy the purity and uniqueness of Chinese painting, and make Chinese painting lose its essence and characteristics.
However, I believe that Xu Beihong's introduction of Western painting into Chinese painting is both correct and controversial. From an innovative point of view, Xu Beihong's approach is brave and forward-looking. His attempt to fuse Chinese and Western painting to create a new artistic style is worthy of respect and appreciation. At the same time, he also opened up a new path for the development of Chinese painting, providing more inspiration and choices for later artists.
From the perspective of inheritance, we should also respect and protect the traditions and characteristics of Chinese painting. Chinese painting is an important part of Chinese culture and has a unique artistic charm and cultural value. On the basis of protecting and inheriting the tradition of Chinese painting, we should explore and innovate, instead of blindly pursuing novelty and trends.
Xu Beihong's introduction of Western painting into Chinese painting is both correct and controversial. We should look at this kind of artistic innovation and integration with an open and inclusive mind, and at the same time, we should respect and protect the traditions and characteristics of Chinese painting. Only under such a premise can Chinese painting continue to grow and reach the pinnacle of world art.
For Xu Beihong's innovative attempts, we can't just stop at arguing about its rights and wrongs. In fact, this kind of attempt has left a deep trace in the history of art and has had a profound impact on the development of Chinese painting. Xu Beihong's innovation is not only his personal artistic pursuit, but also his keen insight and positive response to the changes of the times and cultural exchanges.
From a historical point of view, the development of any kind of art is a process of continuous innovation and change. As a treasure of Chinese culture, Chinese painting also needs to adapt and innovate in different historical stages. Xu Beihong's attempt came into being in this historical process, and he tried to introduce Western painting techniques while maintaining the spiritual connotation of Chinese painting, so as to inject new vitality into Chinese painting. This kind of attempt undoubtedly provided more space for later artists to think and explore.
We should also see that Xu Beihong's innovation is not a complete subversion of traditional Chinese painting, but an innovation and expansion on the basis of tradition. While introducing Western painting techniques, he also adhered to the spiritual core and cultural heritage of Chinese painting. This kind of practice of innovating in inheritance and inheriting in innovation is exactly what we should advocate.
As for Xu Beihong's introduction of Western painting into Chinese painting, we should not simply judge it by right or wrong, but should regard it as an inevitable phenomenon in the historical process. We should look at this kind of artistic innovation and integration with an open and inclusive mind, and at the same time, we should respect and protect the traditions and characteristics of Chinese painting. Only in this way can we better inherit and develop Chinese painting, so that it can shine more brightly on the world art stage.