The Shanghai Art School: Relocating Chinese Art Teaching from The Private Studios To The Public Education System, 1913-1937

This article examines the role of modern art educational institutions that emerged in the early 20th century China in transforming Chinese artists and their art, by comparing the manner of art teaching and other artistic activities in the traditional literati master’s private studio and those found in the Shanghai Art School, an early and important art school in Republican China. The research draws upon a wide range of primary sources as well as secondary documents. It shows that when teaching in the public institution of the School, artists’ teaching techniques were enriched, and their teaching psychologies were restructured. This article finally contributes towards an improved understanding of “modern” artists and “modern” art in China.