The Interweaving of “Decorativeness” and “Realism”: Pang Xunqin’s Pencil Drawings in Wartime

As a pioneer of Chinese modernist art in the first half of the 20th century and a leading figure in the early Western-style painting movement in China, Pang Xunqin’s fascination with linear art worldwide, especially his dedicated study of the spiritual expressiveness of line, began early during his time studying European modernist painting in France. His inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese line drawing art were, from the outset, grounded in a modern perspective that transcended East-West divides and integrated ancient and contemporary approaches, closely related to his research into the decorative aspects of painting within this very perspective.

After the full outbreak of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, how to integrate his interest in decorative research with a humanistic concern for expressing reality became the core focus of Pang Xunqin’s artistic exploration. This lecture traces Pang Xunqin’s linear sketches from his time in France, then focuses on his line drawing works created during the war. By examining the diverse aspects and developmental process of his line drawing creations, it discusses Pang Xunqin’s experimental artistic journey, particularly his mental and creative path during the wartime period of the Republic of China era.