Negative Effects of the Painting and Calligraphy Market

——The Early Period of the Republic of China (1912-1937)

Abstract: Under the influence of the whole economic situation, the painting and calligraphy market developed greatly during the early period of the Republic of China (1912-1937), which improved the survival situation and social status of the painters and calligraphers, but which objectively brought negative effects on the progress of the art of painting and calligraphy as well. Driven by profits, the painters and calligraphers made their creation modeled and task-oriented, and the heavy task of selling art left the painters and calligraphers no time to give enough consideration to the quality of art. And on the other hand, the value standard of painting and calligraphy started to be shaken by the furtherdeepening of the market, and more and more non-artistic factors exerted influences on the creation of the painters and calligraphers. In addition, the desire of reaping the rewards as soon as possible made it a common practice in the art circle to imitate those big-timers, which, as a result, killed the creativity most important to the development of art, and caused the disastrous effects which can never be neglected.

Keywords: the early period of the Republic of China; the painting and calligraphy market; negative effects

Xiaojun Tao: College of Cultural Industries, Nanjing University of the Arts, Nanjing, China, E-mail: 15380410265@189.cn

   *Corresponding author, Jiahe Cai: College of Teacher’s Education, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China, E-mail: 15005163664@163.com