The Educational Tradition of Peking University Art Institute

First, Peking University's art education has a distinctive humanistic color and is highly academic. Peking University's art education has a clear ideological guidance from the beginning, which is Mr. Cai Yuanpei's aesthetic education thought. Therefore, Peking University's art education has a distinct humanistic color. At the beginning, the purpose of the Music Research Association of Peking University was to "study music and cultivate temperament". 1920+00 revised its articles of association in June, and its purpose was changed to "study music and develop aesthetic education". Aesthetic education is humanistic education. Humanistic education is oriented to people's spiritual world and cultural world. The connotations of the spiritual world and the cultural world are the world of meaning and the world of value. Therefore, Peking University's art education did not stop at the technical level from the beginning, but consciously guided students to pursue a more meaningful and valuable life and to pursue the perfection of life. This is a very important tradition. The history of Chinese and foreign education proves that if a university attaches great importance to art education and its art education is rich in humanistic connotation and color, then the students it cultivates are always more energetic, creative and enterprising, with a broader mind and vision, a deeper life experience, a healthier personality and a higher spiritual realm.

In connection with this, Peking University's art education shows a strong academic nature. This is manifested in two aspects. On the one hand, it is under the advocacy of Mr. Cai Yuanpei that Peking University attaches great importance to the study of aesthetic theory, because aesthetics is the soul of art education. At that time, Mr. Deng Yizhe taught aesthetics. Later, two aesthetic masters, Mr. Zhu Guangqian and Mr. Zong Baihua, successively went to Peking University to teach. This makes Peking University's art education have academic and theoretical support, and has formed an advantage on the metaphysical level. This is very important. On the other hand, the teachers who have been engaged in art education in Peking University for a long time are mostly scholars, scholar artists or scholar artists with profound cultural literacy. We can give a few examples. For example, Mr. Deng Yizhe (1892- 1973). He is the fifth grandson of Deng, a great calligrapher in Qing Dynasty. His own official script and seal script have reached a high level. At the same time, he is a philosopher, aesthete and connoisseur of painting and calligraphy. He used to be the head of the Department of Philosophy in Peking University, and taught aesthetics, selected readings of aesthetic masterpieces, history of western art and other courses for a long time. He has written academic works such as Calligraphy Appreciation, Exploration of Painting Theory and Interpretation of Six Methods. He is both a scholar and an artist, a scholar-type artist. Another example is Mr. Xiao (1884- 1940), who studied in Japan and Germany successively, studying not only music, but also philosophy and pedagogy. He received his Ph.D. from Leipzig University, and his doctoral thesis was titled "Examination of Ancient Musical Instruments in China" (19 16). 192 1 year, Cai Yuanpei hired him to teach in Peking University. At the same time, he has two positions, one is a lecturer in philosophy department, and the other is a tutor of music research institute (later, he is the academic director of music research institute). In addition to teaching, organizing and conducting orchestras, he also composed nearly 100 songs, such as "Moonlit Night on the Spring River", as well as large chorus, cello and orchestra. At the same time, he also compiled a large number of piano textbooks, violin textbooks and other teaching materials, and wrote theoretical works such as Harmony and Acoustics, Research on General Music and theoretical articles such as Comparative Study of China Music. Mr. Xiao is a scholar and artist, and a scholar-type artist. Another example is Mr. Chen Shiceng (1876- 1923, also known as Brother Heng). Grandfather Chen Baozhen is the governor of Hunan, father Chen is a famous poet and brother Chen Yinque is a famous historian. His family background made him lay an extremely deep foundation of Chinese studies since he was a child, and he made great achievements in landscape, flowers and birds, seal cutting and so on. He has also written academic papers such as The Value of Literati Painting. He has a deep friendship with Qi Baishi, and his artistic thoughts have a great influence on Qi Baishi. He advised Qi Baishi to come up with new ideas and pushed him to start the "declining year reform". He has also made great achievements in art education, including Wang Xuetao, Wang Ziyun, Li Kuchan, Liu Kaiqu, Yu Jianhua and others. Mr. Chen Shiceng is also a scholar and an artist, a scholar-type artist. Another example is Mr. Shen (1883- 197 1). Everyone knows that he is a great calligrapher. He studied Ou Yangxun first, then Chu Suiliang, and became the second king in his later years, which had a great influence. But he is also a scholar. As early as 19 13, he was hired as a professor of Chinese Department in Peking University and participated in the editing of New Youth magazine. His ancient poems are fresh and elegant, and they are also highly respected. Mr. Shen is a scholar and calligrapher, a scholar calligrapher. Mr. Ji Xianlin once expounded "Scholar's Calligraphy". Mr. Ji said: "Literati calligraphy not only stresses the elegance and integrity of calligraphy, but also requires calligraphy to have profound cultural implications. Literati calligraphy is not only art but also culture, and it is also the beautification and culture of Chinese characters by literati. From the literati's calligraphy works, we can see the literati's cultural accomplishment and broad vision. " "Scholar's Calligraphy" is a subject worth studying. In the history of Peking University for more than 100 years, many famous scholars are calligraphers. Their profound knowledge and accomplishment make their calligraphy works have profound cultural implications as Mr. Ji said, thus having special aesthetic value.

Now we have entered the 2 1 century. Peking University, as a comprehensive university, especially a research-oriented university, should still attach importance to the research of aesthetics and art theory in developing art education in the new century, and strive to cultivate high-level talents in art research and art education. Of course, at the same time, we should also cultivate practical talents and professional artists (especially those practical majors with high cultural literacy requirements). Some people see that we attach importance to aesthetics, that is, we despise art, and that we emphasize academics and train theoretical talents, that is, we despise artistic practice. The history of Peking University shows that this view is incorrect. For example, Mr. Zong Baihua is a philosopher and aesthetician. He studied China's ancient paintings, calligraphy, gardens and dances from the perspective of philosophy and aesthetics, and put forward many original opinions. It is recognized by friends in the art world that Mr. Zong's views on China's art are so profound and exquisite that no one in the art world can surpass them so far. Another example is Mr. Xiao, Mr. Shen, whose profound knowledge, philosophy, aesthetic accomplishment and theoretical research have not hindered their artistic practice, but have broadened their minds, cultivated their meteorology, cultivated their sense of life, history and universe, and enhanced their aesthetic realm from the spiritual and cultural level. Second, the art education of Peking University has shown the characteristics of paying equal attention to quality education and professional education from the beginning. Under the guidance of Cai Yuanpei's aesthetic education thought, Peking University's art education was oriented to all college students from the beginning, showing the characteristics of quality education. There were three main ways of art education at that time. The first way is classroom teaching, which offers aesthetics, China art history, western art history, China ancient music research, China sculpture history, music history, harmony acoustics, music theory, composition methods, chorus, solfeggio and western stringed instruments. The second way is to organize various art societies and seminars, including calligraphy, painting, music, drama, violin, singing groups, folk dance, photography and so on. In particular, the Gu Yin Institution was founded in the spring of 1935, with Yu Pingbo as its president and Wu Mei as its mentor. Mr Yu Pingbo and his wife, Xu Baoxun, are both good at singing Kunqu opera, and Yu Zhenfei often plays the flute to accompany them. The third way is to hold a concert, build an art museum and create an artistic environment and atmosphere. For example, the Music Research Association holds two or three concerts a month on average. 1919 April19 The first large-scale concert was held at the Mishi Street YMCA, presided over by Mr. Cai Yuanpei himself. 1000 people crowded upstairs and downstairs, which was unprecedented. Since its establishment, the Music Studio has held 34 concerts, twice a month on average. Another example is 1946. After returning to Beijing from National Southwest Associated University, the College of Arts and Peking University Museum at that time collected many valuable fine arts and folk works of art, including paintings, costumes, handicrafts, Buddha statues, ceramics, lacquerware, inscriptions and so on. (Many of them were donated by teachers and people in our school), which created a historical and civilized environment and atmosphere for Peking University.

Art education in Peking University includes not only quality education, but also professional education. In other words, Peking University undertook the task of cultivating art professionals from the very beginning. We often say 1922 "Music Training Institute" was established on the basis of "Music Research Association" of Peking University in February. This "Music Studio" is actually the earliest modern higher professional music school in China. Cai Yuanpei is the director and Xiao is the academic director. Implement the credit system. Teachers include Yang Zhongzi, (Wang Xinkui), Liu Tianhua and others. And foreign teachers. Yang Zhongzi studied at the Geneva Conservatory of Music, majoring in piano and music theory. Wang Lu is a guqin and pipa player. Music Studio 1923 enrolled 44 students. A * * * has been operating for five years (1927 was ordered to close by the Beiyang warlord government). The students were musicians such as Xian Xinghai, Tan and Wu Bochao, who later became famous music educators. It should also be mentioned that 19 18 founded Beiping Art Institute (the earliest modern higher professional art school in China), 1927 was merged into Peking University, and was then called the Art Department. 1928 was renamed Art College. During this period, Qi Baishi once taught in a school.

The first Conservatory of Music in the history of modern education in China was born in Peking University, and the first Academy of Fine Arts in the history of modern education in China was once a part of Peking University. From a global perspective, all famous comprehensive universities have established art schools, such as the School of Plastic Arts, the School of Art and Archaeology in Paris, France, the Department of Visual and Environmental Art Design, the Department of Art History and Architectural History, the Department of Music, the Department of Design and Drama Art in Harvard University, the Department of Art History and Archaeology in Columbia University, and the Department of Art (including Film, Art and Drama) and Music in Oxford University, England. Huang Zi (1904- 1938), a famous composer and music educator in modern China, graduated from the Music School of Yale University (1929). It is not without reason that these world-famous universities all have art departments. Cultivating artists, especially great artists and art theorists, requires professional knowledge and skills on the one hand, and profound cultural, philosophical, literary and scientific literacy on the other, and needs the support of multiple disciplines. On the one hand, single-subject art colleges have advantages; On the other hand, comprehensive universities have advantages that single-subject art colleges do not have. The multi-disciplinary environment of comprehensive universities will objectively promote the mutual infiltration and blending of disciplines, which is very important for cultivating artists and art theorists. This influence is two-way. On the one hand, students studying art can draw nutrition from other disciplines. For example, Mr. Li Kuchan studied painting in Peking University Painting Research Association, and at the same time went to Chinese Department to improve his literary accomplishment. On the other hand, students from other disciplines can also go to the art department to study art and develop their artistic talents, among which a group of outstanding artists may emerge. In this respect, we can take yenching university as an example (1952 after the adjustment of departments, yenching university's literature, law and science were merged into Peking University). There is a music department in yenching university, which has trained a large number of famous musicians, such as Professor Zhang Xiaohu, a famous singer, and Ms. Mao Aili, a famous singer and music educator. Later, Professor Deng Yingyi, vice president of the China Conservatory of Music and head of the composition department, presided over the preparatory work for the art education department of Beijing Normal University. At the same time, other departments in yenching university also produced a large number of artists, such as Jiao Juyin of the Political Department, who later became a famous drama director; Liu Beimao of the English Department (Liu Tianhua's younger brother) later became a famous erhu composer. After liberation, he became a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music and trained a large number of musical talents. Huang Zongjiang was also an English major, and later became a famous drama artist and film artist. Shen Xiang, also an English major, minored in music and later became the head of the vocal opera department of the Central Conservatory of Music. Li Weibo, also an English major, later became a professor in the Department of Vocal Opera of the Central Conservatory of Music. He also worked as a vocal music teacher and soloist in the Central Experimental Opera House, and played a major role in the famous operas La Traviata and Madame Butterfly. There is also Sun Daolin of the Department of Philosophy, who later became a famous film performance artist; The history of journalism later became a famous film artist. Wait a minute. It can be seen that the cultural atmosphere and multidisciplinary environment of comprehensive universities do have their own advantages in cultivating artists. Therefore, I think it is inappropriate to oppose the establishment of art colleges in comprehensive universities, and it is also unfavorable to the construction of art disciplines and the development of art education in China. Third, Peking University's art education is based on China culture, and the line of compatibility between Chinese and Western cultures and combination of elegance and popularity is implemented. Art education in Peking University has a foothold, that is, China art and China culture. This point has been consistent for a hundred years, and it is very clear and conscious in the thoughts of all scholars and artists engaged in art education in Peking University. Mr. Zong Baihua later came to Peking University as a professor, but a letter he wrote back from Germany at 192 1 can represent the same thoughts of scholars engaged in art education at Peking University at that time. In his letter, Mr Zong said, "I thought that China's future culture would never succeed if European and American cultures were brought here. There are great and beautiful things in China's old culture, which must not be destroyed. For example, China's paintings are unique in the world. Compared with western paintings, their value is not easy to determine, and it was not felt until Europe. " "I really respect the western academic art, but I never despise the culture of China. And advocate the cultural development of China in the future, or try to give full play to the personality of China national culture, and don't imitate it specifically. What is imitated has no creative results. " (The Complete Works of Zong Baihua, Volume 1, Page 32 1) Under the irradiation of western culture, Mr. Zong realized the unique value and brilliance of China traditional culture. This does not mean that we should not learn from the West, but we must never substitute imitation for our own creation, and we must never take copying western culture as the goal of China's cultural construction. I think the history of the 20th century has proved that the history of 2 1 century will continue to prove that Mr. Zong's judgment and proposition are correct and full of wisdom. Mr Zong's statement "Give full play to the' individuality' of China's national culture" contains profound truth.

Peking University's art education has a strong color of China culture. Mr. Zhang Taiyan recommended Mr. Wang Xinkui to teach Guqin in Peking University, which initiated the teaching of Guqin in colleges and universities. Mr. Wu Mei and Mr. Xu Zhiheng successively taught Kunqu opera in Peking University, which initiated the teaching of Kunqu opera in colleges and universities and was called unprecedented by Shanghai newspapers at that time. At that time, most of the artists who taught at Peking University had studied in Europe and Japan, but their works of art had distinctive features and colors of China's national culture. For example, Mr. Xiao organized an orchestra of 15 people in the "Music Studio" of Peking University. He is a conductor himself, playing not only Beethoven's fifth and sixth symphonies, but also his own "new colorful feathers" with China charm. His songs, such as Moonlit Night on a Spring River and cello Qiu Si, are also full of the charm of China culture.

Based on China culture, it is a tradition of Peking University's art research and education to be compatible with Chinese and Western cultures and to suit both refined and popular tastes. From the perspective of theoretical research, Peking University scholars have always taken the line of compatibility between China and the West (blending of China and the West) and eclecticism. For example, Mr. Zhu Guangqian has made great efforts in translating and introducing western aesthetics. He translated Plato's Dialogue on Literature and Art, Goethe's Dialogue, Lessing's laocoon, Hegel's Aesthetics (three volumes and four volumes) and Vico's New Science, all of which are classic works of western aesthetics. At the same time, he made an in-depth study of China's aesthetics. His On Poetry is a poetic work of China with great academic value. So is Mr. Zong Baihua. He translated Kant's Critique of Judgment and gave a very unique explanation to Goethe. At the same time, it has made a profound study of China's philosophy, China's aesthetics and China's art, which is the compatibility of Chinese and Western. There is also a taste for both refined and popular tastes, which not only attaches importance to the elegant arts such as guqin, Kunqu opera and symphony, but also attaches great importance to the study of folk literature and folk art. Peking University began to collect ballads as early as 19 18, and Liu Bannong, Qian, Shen, Zhou Zuoren and others all participated in this matter. 1920 established "Ballad Research Society" and published "Ballad Weekly". By the end of 1926, Gu Jiegang and others had collected more than 3,000 ballads (Wu Ge Collection, Beijing Songs, Ji Songs, Folk Songs, etc. 1,000). ).

The same is true of art education and artistic creation. For example, the Music Research Association has set up five groups, three of which are Guqin, Sizhu and Kunqu, and two groups are piano and violin (and later a singing group was added). 1965438+ The first concert was held on April 19. The performances include Kunqu opera, guqin, flute, bamboo flute and pipa ensemble, as well as piano, violin, solo and chorus. Later, the brochure of the Music Training Institute clearly stipulated that the Music Training Institute "aims at cultivating talents for music research" and "teaches western music (including theory and technology) while preserving and developing China ancient music." Another example is Liu Tianhua, a Chinese music teacher in the music studio, who teaches erhu and pipa. He also advocated the combination of Chinese and Western culture and pursued the progress of China music. His erhu songs Good Night, Bright Walk and Candle Shadows Shake Red all absorbed the techniques of western music. Mr. Liu believes that to improve national music, "on the one hand, we must adopt the inherent spirit of our nation, on the other hand, we must accommodate foreign trends and break a new path from the reconciliation and cooperation between the East and the West."