Since the opening of the port in Shanghai, industry and commerce have become increasingly prosperous, and the art market has become increasingly prosperous, which has attracted calligraphers and painters from all over the world to gather in Shanghai. Due to the combined action of political, economic, cultural and other factors, a large number of painting societies have emerged in Shanghai. According to statistics, hundreds of art societies and organizations have appeared in Shanghai, but the largest, longest and most sound organization is the Chinese Painting Association.
In 1932, the Chinese Painting Society was officially established in Shanghai. At that time, the Chinese painting industry was facing crises and challenges. On the one hand, due to the impact of Western culture and the complete negation of traditional cultural trends after the opening of the door of the country, Chinese painting was also affected, resulting in the development of the painting industry at that time, coupled with social instability, which made the development of art stagnate; on the other hand, Chinese painting at that time was also challenged by the Japanese painting circle. At that time, in the Eastern and even international markets, it was the period when Japanese ukiyo-e was popular.
In this environment, Chinese painters were determined to form an organization to revive the way of painting. It was under such circumstances that the Chinese Painting Association was established with the support of the forces of various painting societies across the country. On December 18 of the same year, the inauguration ceremony of the Chinese Painting Society was held, and there were more than 150 members at that time. The meeting elected Wang Yiting, Chen Shuren, Xie Gongzhan, Wang Zhongshan, and Xiong Songquan as members of the Supervisory Committee; Qian Shutie, Sun Xueni, Zheng Wuchang, Yu Jifan, Ma Qizhou, Zhang Yuguang, Wang Yingbin, Zhang Shanxiao, Chen Xiaodi, Wu Tianweng, and Lu Danlin as executive members; And He Tianjian, Li Zuhan, Zhang Daqian, Wang Shizi, and Xu Zhengbai as alternate members. The congress determined the purpose of the Chinese Painting Society, namely: (1) to carry forward the art inherent in our country; (2) to publicize to the outside world and improve the status of international art; and (3) to seek stability in life with the self-help spirit of painters.
After the establishment of the Chinese Painting Society, in order to attract the chinese people's understanding and interest in national art, the Painting Society on the one hand vigorously held various exhibitions to enhance the influence of Chinese painting; on the other hand, it founded the official journal "Chinese Painting Monthly". The monthly magazine is divided into several sections: discussion, short commentary, works, ramblings, literary garden, and member news, which are not only professional, but also have high academic standards. Unfortunately, only 12 issues of Chinese Painting Monthly were published.
At the same time, while promoting the development of the Chinese painting community, the Chinese Painting Society is also a painting society with a sense of social responsibility, which supports the volunteer army, relieves the disaster victims, comforts the soldiers of the War of Resistance, and saves the country with art.
The Chinese Painting Society has held many charity exhibitions, such as: on February 12, 1933, it jointly held an exhibition of works donated by artists to the Northeast Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army with the Federation of National Salvation Groups and the Shanghai Northeast Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army Support Association; on October 22, 1937, it jointly held an exhibition of calligraphy and painting of the frontline soldiers with the Chinese Women's Calligraphy and Painting Association.
From its establishment in 1932 to its cessation in 1948, the Chinese Painting Society existed for nearly 20 years, which is a milestone in the history of the development of modern Chinese art communities. As an art society with wide influence in the Republic of China period, it spares no effort in exploring the road of Chinese art modernization, and its value and significance are self-evident.