The Awakening Era: The Inheritance and Improvement of Traditional Chinese Painting

The first half of the twentieth century was an era of great masters and dazzling stars. Artists, with their different backgrounds and ideological inclinations, made various choices between adhering to tradition and modern transformation. Whether it was 'integrating Chinese and Western' or 'using the old to open up the new', they all strived in their practices to build a 'New Chinese Painting', aiming to realize the ideal transition of Chinese painting from traditional to modern. Situated at the forefront of China's openness, the Guangdong art circle inevitably experienced the impact and influence of cultural conflicts and integration between China and the West. Through this complex process, a pattern of contention among various schools, such as the National Essence School and the Integration School, gradually formed.