The Modernization of Chinese Art - Jane Zheng

Fist academic study on modernity at the Shanghai Art College The Shanghai Art College was one of the most important art schools in Republican China. This is the first academic study written on the early history of the College. It makes a major contribution to the history of aesthetic education in China, Shanghai in particular. The book presents a new approach to how people understand the modernization of Chinese art, and the significance and consequences of modernity in the Shanghai art world of the period 1913-1937. The author proposes new theoretical models to explain the interactions between multiple levels of social structures and artists, with a special emphasis on the role of art education institutions in transforming artists, artworks and the development of artistic fields. Presenting unique historical images hereto hidden in the archives of the College, the book brings forward the distinctive modern characteristics of the early 20th-century Shanghai Art College.

This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).

Jane Zheng is assistant professor at the Faculty of Arts of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

While Cheng Man-ch'ing is not a main subject of this fascinating book, through it one can get a better picture of the huge societal changes that gripped China and the nuances, politics, and personalities of the art world that dramatically affected Cheng's life.
The Cheng Man-ch'ing Biography Project

'This complex and thorough book conveys a detailed portrait of an outstanding art school fusing tradition with modernity amid turbulent times. The remarkable extent of surviving archives adds richly to exhaustive research, particularly so in the many reflective narratives.'
David Haste, History of Education, July 2017


History of Education

Joining a growing body of studies which serve to underscore the impact of the market on the multifaceted modes of art production and consumption in Republican-era Shanghai, The Modernization of Chinese Artis an informative account that will be of interest not only to specialists in the field but also to those looking for a richly detailed introduction to this important and complex period in Chinese art history.

The China Quarterly