Chronicle of Modern Woodblock Prints

Author: Zhang Zexian
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Woodblock prints and woodblock print collections from the Republican era, many of which have been preserved to this day are quite rare. However, in "Hearing" and "Seeing," one can at least grasp the overall structure of Republican-era woodblock prints and also perceive the philosophy of the era, society, and life. In the art of the Republican period, categorized into major fields such as fine arts, photography, music, and dance, woodblock printing falls under the category of fine arts. If fine arts are further subdivided, oil painting, sculpture, and Chinese painting are considered the "mainstream," while woodblock printing has always seemed to hold no place. Although its status is not considered high-brow, it occupies a very special position within the field of fine arts and can be said to be a "marginal art." If one were to trace the origins of this "marginal art," it would lead back to China. On this point, Mr. Lu Xun, Mr. Zheng Zhenduo, and Mr. Ye Lingfeng, who had extensive research on woodblock art, all reached authoritative conclusions through a series of "investigative" statements. Lu Xun, in the preface to Selected Modern Woodcuts (Volume 1), wrote: The gunpowder and compass invented by the ancient Chinese and now used for firecrackers and Feng Shui were passed to Europe, where they were applied to firearms and navigation, causing great harm to the homeland. There is also a small case that, because it was harmless, was almost forgotten. That is woodblock printing. Although there is no absolute proof, many in Europe believe that their woodblock printing originated from China, during the 14th century, around 1320. The pioneers were paper cards printed with extremely crude woodblock illustrations; such cards can still be seen in the countryside today. However, this gambling tool entered the continent of Europe and became the ancestor of their printing technology for civilization and weapons. Zheng Zhenduo, in the preface to Illustrated History of Chinese Woodblock Prints, wrote: The rise of woodblock printing in China preceded that of any other country in the world. European woodblock printing was created by Germany and the Netherlands and first applied to gambling cards, as well as for printing biblical illustrations, around 1410 (early Yongle era in China). Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints flourished during the Edo period (Ming to Tongzhi era in China). Only in China did woodblock printing become popular as early as the late Tang Dynasty. By the Wanli and Chongzhen periods, it had reached its zenith. Ye Lingfeng, in the preface to Introduction to the History of European Woodcuts, wrote: We in China were the first to use woodcuts as printing tools. We invented woodblock printing with carved images and text as early as the 7th and 8th centuries, which is seven or eight hundred years earlier than Europe. Therefore, even though Mr. Xingde, in this Preface to the History of Woodcuts, explicitly stated that his research and scope were limited to the 15th century in Europe, when discussing the origin of woodcuts in Europe and their origins, he could not help but mention China. These "authoritative" conclusions make contemporary readers "proud" and allow them to show off a bit in front of foreigners: "This is something we invented, we are the ancestors!" In reality, this "ancestor" had already reached the level of modern European woodblock printing, while European woodblock printing was still in its "embryonic stage." However, once the "ancestor" arrived in Europe, it made European woodblock printing even more youthful and radiant, shedding its simple attire and donning elegant robes. These changes once again made the homeland of the "woodcut ancestor" take a fresh look. Thus, the idea of the woodcut "returning home" emerged, and with it, the beginning of its "revival." To speak of the "beginning," one must continue the lineage with the "ancestor," otherwise, there would be no "foundation." Those who took on this task were Mr. Zheng Zhenduo and Mr. Lu Xun. Mr. Zheng Zhenduo should be credited with accomplishing this. Subsequently, Illustrated History of Chinese Woodblock Prints, Beiping Jianpu, and Shizhuangzhai Jianpu were published one after another. Although the print runs were very small at the time, anyone who saw them was shocked by their richness and exquisite craftsmanship. With this "foundation," Mr. Zheng Zhenduo raised the banner of "continuing the lineage," while Mr. Lu Xun raised another banner for foreign woodblock prints, publishing five collections of foreign woodcuts and black-and-white prints in China under the name of the Chaohua Society. To be more precise, Mr. Lu Xun and Mr. Zheng Zhenduo were among the pioneers of China's emerging woodcut movement. However, it should not be forgotten that there was also Mr. Ye Lingfeng, who had been completely overlooked before. Although he had not yet dared to "join" this group, his expertise in woodblock printing naturally placed him on the "periphery" of this movement. Though he did not "lead the call," he was still rallying support—over the past six or seven decades, history has painted such a picture, and it is likely to become clearer and more complete.
Returning to "home," woodblock prints have undergone changes in composition, technique, and content, donning a "new outfit." Especially in essence, they have transformed their appearance. The old method, where the painter, carver, and printer were separate individuals, has been ( means "" in Chinese, which should be translated as "" or "discarded" in English), replaced by a creative approach where the painter, carver, and printer are all unified in one person, known as "creative woodcuts." This is a leap from "craftsmanship" to "creativity," which can be called a major ( means "" in Chinese, which should be translated as "leap" in English). Due to this leap, woodcuts have rightfully joined the ranks of art and firmly secured a place as one of the "marginal arts" within the realm of fine arts. However, the glory once enjoyed by the "ancestors" did not lead to an immediate "revival" upon their return. Methods from the "ancestors" could no longer fulfill the task of China's emerging woodcut movement. For this reason, in the early stages of the movement, almost all actions involved "rebuilding the furnace," with the most famous being the woodcut workshop taught by Mr. Lu Xun, where Mr. Naito Kageki provided instruction. The model for this "furnace" was various foreign woodcut works introduced to China. Once the models were available, young woodcut artists imitated them en masse, and the early works bore heavy traces of imitation. This is also an inevitable stage in the development of any art form and cannot be avoided. Moreover, the skills of most woodcut artists were extremely poor, and the quality of their works was also very low. As the "mentor," Mr. Lu Xun repeatedly advised the young artists to quickly move beyond this period, to develop their own individuality, to master the fundamentals, and to have a "Chinese touch," otherwise, they would lose even the "ancestors." Although his words were well-intentioned, young people under heavy political and life pressures had no time to consider these major issues. Their primary concern was to fill their bellies, make a living, and avoid dangerous uncertainties. This created the difficulties and moving struggles of the movement's early stages.
Today, the surviving woodblock prints or collections from the Republican era are precious not only because they are a rare "marginal art" but also because they allow us to feel the storms of war and the hardships of life behind the scenes, to understand the true meaning of art engaging with life. At the same time, we can also appreciate the "artistic beauty" of woodcuts, and sometimes even discover that participation and artistic beauty can be combined so perfectly. Although such works are not numerous in Republican-era woodcuts, they are filled with beautiful ideals and hopes for the future, reaching the "highest realm" of art. Unfortunately, during Mr. Lu Xun's lifetime, such works were extremely scarce. Looking at the surviving Republican-era woodcut collections, they can be broadly divided into two categories: the first consists of woodcut collections "imported" from abroad and reprinted; the earliest among them should be Selected Modern Woodcuts (Volume 1) published by Mr. Lu Xun under the name of the Chaohua Society. The second consists of woodcut collections created by Chinese ( means "" in Chinese, which should be translated as "local" or "native" in English) woodcut artists. Notably, the Modern Woodcuts and Woodcut Circle published by the Guangzhou Modern Woodcut Society stand out, with the creation of woodcut bookplates being particularly pioneering. Another branch is intermediate between these two, consisting of woodcut printing techniques and treatises. Except for a few that reached a certain standard, most were similar and lacked originality. However, during the time when such books were extremely scarce, they were still in high demand. Based on available catalog data, the number of publications combining these two categories was relatively large, mainly concentrated between 1937 and 1945. This shows that amid major social upheavals, the art of woodcuts ( means "" in Chinese, which should be translated as "" in English), and there are indeed patterns to be followed. These publications included self-funded printings, officially published works, and self-carved, self-printed, and self-initiated efforts, with print runs generally being very small. This is the true reason why the versions preserved to this day are so rare and isolated. Due to their scarcity, they must be understood through intuition. The longer one understands them, the more one may wish to write a book like this. Now that the book is published, it not only provides readers with a path for "intuition" but also serves as a "signpost" for the author's own "intuition." May this signpost stand row after row, forever.