Three major trends are evident in Chinese ink painting: academic reformism, modernism and neo-traditionalism. While reformists are calling for stylistic freedom and a return to humanism, modernists seek the adoption of Western modes of thought and practice to develop and reform Chinese tradition. The new literati painting which has seen a resurgence of innovative theory and technique of an indigenous Chinese painting tradition distinguishes neo-traditionalism. Many scholars believe that developments in Chinese painting represent a decline in the history of Chinese art but, in this authors’ opinion, this has been a period of transformation in aesthetic conception and expression. Chinese ink painting, which is still the dominant stream in twentieth century Chinese art and a continuation of its development, can be seen in the work of many contemporary artists. It is more than likely that the pluralism in contemporary Chinese art discussed in this thesis will continue although the forms it takes will to some extent be determined by political and economic factors. It is unlikely that contemporary Chinese art will totally reject the established cultural and aesthetic systems and establish a new one, based on the Western system. The traditions of Chinese culture remain strong, and it appears much more probable that an internal ‘re-shaping’ of both indigenous and imported elements will result in an artistic tradition that remains distinctively ‘Chinese’ as well as contemporary / Master of Arts (Hons)

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En Chine, à partir du XXe siècle, une tentative de modernisation dans la peinture chinoise ne cesse de la rapprocher de l‘Occident. Cette modernité, pour des artistes chinois, passe par l‘étude de la science et de la technique en Occident. Car l‘art en Occident est depuis longtemps lié à la science, fondé sur une technique et considéré comme une imitation du monde réel par la représentation de la perspective, de la couleur, de la lumière et de l‘ombre. En revanche, l‘art en Chine, de sa naissance à son autonomie, s‘est développé à partir d‘une interaction mutuelle, de l‘image de la nature : (la montagne, la forêt, la rivière...) et de la philosophie, la littérature, la poésie, la calligraphie… Du fait qu‘une expression due sentimentale aux artistes lettrés s‘attache à la fusion de l‘harmonie entre l‘homme et la nature. Mais, comment est-ce que ces deux notions, de l‘héritage traditionnel et de la modernité occidentale, s‘articulent-elles dans l‘art chinois lors de l‘introduction de la science et la technique de l‘art occidental ? La fréquentation de l‘occident par les artistes chinois le conduit-il à un rejet de ses propres valeurs au profit d‘une occidentalisation ? Ou bien une fusion s‘est-elle manifestée, fondant un art académique chinois ? Enfin, comment la synthèse chinoise de l‘art occidental et de la tradition traverse-t-elle les bouleversements politiques de la Chine au XXe siècle ? / In China, from the twentieth century, in an attempt to modernize Chinese painting isn't stopping to get closer to the West. This modernity, for Chinese artists, passes through the study of science and technology in the West. But how do these two concepts, the traditional legacy and Western modernity, have articulated in modern Chinese painting? A frequentation of the West by the Chinese Artistes has entrained a rejection of its own values in favour of Westernization? Or a merger has been manifested, founding a Chinese academic art? Finally, how the synthesis of Chinese and Western art tradition has crossed the political upheavals of the twentieth century in China?