1920年代上海的畫家、知識份子與裸體視覺文化——以張競生〈裸體研究〉為中心

Artists, Intellectuals, and the Visual Culture of Unclothed Bodies in 1920s Shanghai: Zhang Jingsheng’s 張競生 “A Study of Unclothed Bodies”

1926年12月，張競生在其主辦的《新文化》創刊號，發表了〈裸體研究——由裸體畫說到許多事——為曉江氏女體速寫而作〉。該文詳細論述了裸體畫表現的女性曲線美、裸體畫的意義和實行裸體的必要性。他還從性學、健康、優生觀念入手，批評女子束胸，宣揚新的女體審美標準：不但要「面部美」，更要「奶部的發展、臀部的豐滿」。「曉江氏」是誰？其女體速寫為何值得張競生在《新文化》撰文？作為一名知識份子，張競生為何要談裸體畫、談女體審美的問題？曉江的裸體畫作與近代裸體視覺文化有何關係？裸體視覺文化對其他的社會觀念，如女體審美新標準的形成產生了怎樣的影響？本文試就上述問題展開論述，以張競生前述文章為中心，利用1920年代的報刊雜誌，分四部份探討在裸體視覺文化的生產過程中，知識份子與畫家各自擔當的角色，以及兩者間的互動。第一部份分析張競生豐富的個人經歷，他與裸體視覺文化的關係，和他寫作此文的背景；第二部份從畫家陳曉江的生平進入，論述陳氏與20世紀20年代裸體視覺文化的關係；第三部份具體解讀〈裸體研究〉一文中的論述與張競生的裸體主張；第四部份從對裸體的「看」與「知」來分析畫家和知識份子在裸體視覺文化中扮演的角色，以及裸體視覺文化對女體審美觀改變的影響。

In December 1926, Zhang Jingsheng 張競生 published an article entitled “A Study of Unclothed Bodies: From Nudes to Many Other Things – Written for Xiaojiang’s Sketches of Female Bodies.” It appeared in the inaugural issue of New Culture, a journal founded by Zhang himself. The article discusses female “curvy beauty” (quxian mei) as represented in nudes, the significance of nudes and the necessity of practicing nudism in great detail. Furthermore, the article takes perspectives from sexology, medicine, and eugenics to criticize breasts-binding among women and to advocate a new aesthetic standard for female bodies. The new standard promotes not only “facial beauty,” but also “developed breasts, and plump buttocks.” Who was “Xiaojiang”? Why were Xiaojiang’s sketches of female bodies worth Zhang Jingsheng’s attention in New Culture? Why did Zhang talk about nudes, as well as the aesthetics of female bodies? What was the relation between Xiaojiang’s nudes and the modern visual culture of unclothed bodies? How did this visual culture impact other social concepts, such as new aesthetic criteria for female bodies? This study addresses these questions by focusing on Zhang’s abovementioned article in the context of 1920s newspapers and magazines. I explore intellectuals’ and artists’ respective roles and their interaction during the production of a visual culture of unclothed bodies. The paper consists of four sections. The first section analyzes Zhang’s rich personal experience, his connections with the visual culture of unclothed bodies, and the background of his article. Starting with artist Chen Xiaojiang’s life experience, the second section discusses Chen’s connections with the visual culture of unclothed bodies. The third section closely reads Zhang’s article, analyzing Zhang’s thoughts on unclothed bodies. The last section examines intellectuals’ and artists’ roles in the field of visual culture of unclothed bodies by applying Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of voir and savoir. I argue that the development of a visual culture of unclothed bodies helped bring about change in the aesthetic perception of female bodies.