Abstract:

The concept of modernity in Western painting is shaped by three intersecting pathways: subjectivity, ontology, and linguistics. Firstly, acknowledgment of the painter’s subjective status is essential, which addressed the predicament between grand narrative of humanity and the artist’s own subjectivity from the Renaissance to Romanticism in the West, as was epitomized by the notion that genius artists legislate for art. Secondly, the awareness of the ontology of paintings is crucial for its modernity, which addressd the predicament between the capitalized art and the ontological autonomy of paintings, as was evidence in figures from Charles Batteux to Paul Cézanne. Lastly, the modernity of painting must be reflected in its visual language. The Modernist painting movement, starting with Impressionism, has been a process of continuous exploration and expansion of formal language. A framework based on the three pathways offers valuable insights into Chinese pathways of modernity in painting.

Key words: Western Painting, modernity, subjectivity, ontology, linguistics