民初「畫學衰落」論述的產生與變遷─以康有為《萬木草堂藏畫目》為核心

Abstract

本論文以康有為（1858-1927）完成於丁巳年（1917）十月的《萬木草堂藏畫目》作為主要研究對象，同時嘗試探究民初「衰落」與「畫學」這兩個詞彙的主要意涵與使用情形，藉此進一步分析康有為的藝術觀點及藏畫目中的「畫學衰落」論，在哪些層面對民初藝術界產生了實際的影響。

本篇研究首先耙梳清末民初文藝界所面臨的身分與環境轉型的因素，並將研究聚焦於晚年的康有為與其藝術書寫。由清末到民初，舊士人在政治變革、社會變動與西方知識影響的情形下轉型為新式知識分子，並對文化藝術界產生實際的衝擊，而此時的藝術論述，亦因傳播媒體的擴增、關懷焦點的改變以及求新求變的時代氛圍，解構了清末以前趨向單一化的論述，促使中國美術產生一系列的現代化轉型；另一方面，透過文獻分析可知，豐富的海外覽遊經驗與對民國成立的抗拒，對康氏中晚年藝術書寫在主題與立論的概念建立，有著相當重要的影響。

其次，本文嘗試關注《萬木草堂藏畫目》的成書問題。除了討論此書的命名、編輯形式、內容以及出版物的差異之外，藉由其所留存的書籍文章以及與文藝界學生的交流可知，此書的一大撰述目的，是為了提供繪畫研究，且讓學生能夠藉由畫目向其借閱其中的繪畫藏品，學習中國繪畫在不同時期的風格。最後，本文探討「畫學」與「衰落」二詞在民初的應用方式與意義變遷，康有為所使用的「畫學」與「衰落」用語，在民初具有不同於傳統意涵的新意，且反映著此時知識分子們接納新知、回應傳統的情況。康有為的「畫學」，不僅指向現代概念下的「學門」，並成為國家文明發展中不可忽視的一環，其「畫學衰落」論，更深刻影響了劉海粟、徐悲鴻等門生的藝術理念。

本研究認為，康有為在《萬木草堂藏畫目》中，透過對中國歷代繪畫的問題診斷，尋訪中國繪畫在世界變遷中仍能持續進化不止的有效藥方，而「畫學衰落」論的提出，並非為了貶抑中國繪畫的價值而迎合西方風尚，亦非耽溺於傳統經典價值，而是試圖在不變的沉滯之中，以突破性的做法找到中國繪畫再度前進的動能，與可能的新方向。

This paper studies Wanmu Caotang Catalogue of Collected Paintings (Wanmu Caotang Canghua Mu) selected and edited by Kang You-Wei (1858-1927) in October 1917 and at the same time explores the chief definitions and usage of Decline and Painting Study in the early Republican Period. Thus his perspectives of art and Theories of Artistic Decline in the book are analyzed further to discover what influences the two elements actually brought on which facets of the art circles in the early Republican Period.

First, this paper clarifies why a change of identity and surroundings happened to the art circles in the late Qing and early Republican Period and focuses on Kang’s later years and his art writing. From the late Qing to the early Republican Period, traditional scholars became new intellectuals in the context of political revolution, social change, and Western knowledge increase. This change had quite an impact on the culture and art circles. In the same period, due to an expansion of the mass media, a change of the media focus, and the pursuit of innovation and reform, the discourse upon art deconstructed the discourse tending to be simplified in the late Qing and also urged the Chinese art to undergo a series of modernization. In addition, both his experience of overseas journeys and defiance against the Republic of China had a significant effect upon the way he constructed his topics and arguments for the art writing in his middle and late periods.

Second, this paper attempts to understand the formation of Wanmu Caotang Catalogue of Collected Paintings. By discussing its title, editing, content, and differences among various editions, referring to the books and articles he preserved, and looking into his communication with arts and culture majors, this paper learns that the primary purpose of the book is to assist the study of paintings and enable his disciples to borrow his painting collection according to the catalogue, learning styles of Chinese paintings in different periods.

Finally, this paper explores the usage of Painting Study and Decline and how their definitions changed in the early Republican Period. These two terms Kang You-Wei used in a different way from the traditional meaning and reflected an age when the contemporary intellectuals embraced the new and responded to the old. Because of Kang You-Wei, not only does the Painting Study become an academic subject in the modern world, it also forms a necessary part to develop national culture; furthermore, his Theories of Artistic Decline influence profoundly the perspectives of art of Liu Haisu and Xu Beihong among other disciples.

By completing Wanmu Caotang Catalogue of Collected Paintings, Kang You-Wei diagnosed Chinese paintings of past dynasties in his quest to find a prescription for the Chinese paintings to constantly improve in the changing world. Besides, Kang proposed Theories of Artistic Decline not to play down the value of Chinese paintings, catering to Western taste or to adore the classics value, but to discover brand new motivation and directions for Chinese paintings to move on even the state was stagnant then.