Zhang Z. Still life in the genre-species structure of Chinese art: evolution, typology, masters

The thesis is dedicated to the study of still life as a genre in traditional and modern Chinese painting, highlighting the socio-cultural factors that influenced its evolution and forms of representation. The work focuses on typology, iconography, semantics, and features of artistic and figurative solutions of still life. The object of the study is still life in Chinese art, the subject of the study is its typology and artistic features in traditional and modern artistic practices of the first half of the 20th century. Connection of the thesis topic with scientific programs, plans, and topics of the university and the department. The research was carried out in accordance with the plan for training highly qualified scientific personnel of the Department of Theory and History of Fine Arts of Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts. A significant amount of visual materials has been collected, systematized and typologized in the qualifying work. In the variety of works of traditional painting, the most representative examples of images of the objective world are singled out, the main stages of development and socio-cultural factors of the formation of the leading models of still life, the peculiarities of their iconography and semantics are highlighted, the main approaches to the interpretation of pictorial motifs close to still life are defined. The work shows the process of still life transformation in the first half of the 20th century, highlights traditional and modern aspects in depicting the subject world by representatives of the Shanghai school and modernist artists, and determines the influence of Western creative and pedagogical practices. The latest names and works have been introduced into scientific circulation. The results and materials of the study have theoretical and practical significance for Ukrainian art criticism in the field of studying the art of the East, as they expand the historiography of the study of Chinese art, and create a base of visual analogues for practicing artists and art experts. The conceptual approaches to understanding and interpreting still life presented in the work can be useful when developing exhibition displays and cultural projects. The work includes an introduction, four sections, conclusions, a list of used sources, and appendices (an album of illustrations).