A Revolutionary Moment in Shanghai

On March 22, 1914, a nervous 15-year-old boy nicknamed “Little Monk” stepped into an unusual classroom at Shanghai’s China Academy of Fine Arts. As dozens of art students watched, the teenager slowly removed his clothes, becoming what historians believe may have been China’s first institutional nude model for art education. While some records suggest Buddhist monk-artist Li Shutong pioneered male nude modeling at Zhejiang First Normal School in 1913, this Shanghai classroom marked a watershed moment in Chinese art history.

The scene would have been unremarkable in European art academies, where life drawing had been standard practice since the Renaissance. But in early 20th century China—where Confucian values emphasized bodily modesty—this educational experiment sparked a cultural earthquake that would reverberate for decades.

Ancient Roots, Modern Taboos

The concept of artistic nude modeling traces back to 4th century BCE Greece, where the famous model Phryne stood trial for impiety after posing nude for sculptors. According to legend, her lawyer dramatically bared her body before the jury, who acquitted her upon recognizing her divine beauty. French painter Jean-Léon Gérôme immortalized this moment in his 1861 painting “Phryne Before the Areopagus.”

Yet while ancient Mediterranean cultures celebrated the human form, Chinese artistic traditions emphasized clothed figures and landscapes. Traditional Chinese painting manuals like the 17th century “Mustard Seed Garden Manual” contained detailed instructions for depicting flowing robes but avoided anatomical studies. This cultural difference set the stage for conflict when Western art education methods arrived in China.

The Battle for Artistic Freedom

After the initial 1914 breakthrough with child models, Shanghai art educators faced an even greater challenge: finding adult volunteers. Academy co-founder Liu Haisu later recalled how twenty hired men fled the classroom when asked to disrobe, despite financial incentives. One desperate candidate reportedly declared, “Punish me if I run away!” only to later beg for mercy, red-faced with shame.

The controversy exploded in 1917 when student sketches from life drawing classes appeared in a Shanghai exhibition. Prominent educator Yang Baimin denounced Liu as “a traitor to art” and “a pest in education.” Liu defiantly embraced the “art traitor” label, writing: “In this chaotic era, we need more such rebels! Success means nothing—what matters is our courage to destroy old conventions!”

The stakes grew higher in 1920 when Liu secured China’s first female nude model, Chen Xiaojun, a peasant girl. After three days of posing, Chen disappeared—her father had beaten and imprisoned her upon discovering her “shameful” profession. In a dramatic gesture, Liu himself stripped to his underwear and took her place on the modeling platform.

The Warlord vs. The Artist

Conservative backlash reached its peak in 1926 when Shanghai politician Jiang Huaisu petitioned warlord Sun Chuanfang to ban nude modeling. Sun—a calligraphy-loving military ruler controlling five provinces—initially wrote Liu a surprisingly polite letter suggesting voluntary discontinuation “to maintain social morals.”

Liu’s fiery public refusal appeared in Shanghai’s leading newspaper, provoking Sun to order the school’s closure. Only French colonial authorities in Shanghai’s International Settlement prevented Liu’s arrest, forcing him into Japanese exile. This clash between artistic freedom and social conservatism became emblematic of China’s cultural modernization struggles.

Mao’s Unexpected Intervention

After decades of fluctuation—including brief tolerance during Chiang Kai-shek’s 1930s New Life Movement—nude modeling faced its greatest threat in 1964 when hardliner Kang Sheng declared: “I absolutely don’t believe artists need models!” The Ministry of Culture promptly banned the practice nationwide.

The policy reversal came from an unlikely source. In 1965, Mao Zedong personally overruled the ban after reviewing petitions from Central Academy of Fine Arts faculty. His pragmatic endorsement—”nude models are essential基本功 [basic skills] for painting and sculpture”—saved academic life drawing, though the Cultural Revolution soon suspended all such “bourgeois” practices.

The Long Road to Acceptance

Post-Mao China witnessed new controversies. In 1979, sculptor Tang Daxi’s “Heroic Warrior”—featuring a nude female figure—sparked outrage at a Guangdong exhibition. That same year, Yuan Yunsheng’s airport mural “Water-Splashing Festival” was partially covered for depicting bare-breasted Dai minority women.

Tragedy struck in 1986 when former model Chen Suhua, discovered by her rural community, suffered a mental breakdown after neighbors branded her a “harlot.” Yet cultural attitudes gradually shifted with landmark events like:
– The 1987 publication of Chen Zui’s “Theory of Nude Art” (selling 200,000 copies)
– The 1988-89 “Oil Painting Nude Art Exhibition” at Beijing’s National Art Museum
– 1985’s overwhelming response to Shanghai Theater Academy’s model recruitment (500 applicants in hours)

A Legacy of Courage

From Liu Haisu’s defiant stand to Chen Xiaojun’s brief, brave posing, these pioneers challenged deep-seated taboos. Their struggle mirrors broader tensions between tradition and modernity that continue to shape Chinese cultural discourse. Today, while life drawing classes operate openly in Chinese art schools, the historical resistance reminds us how profoundly art education reflects societal values.

The story of China’s nude modeling controversy ultimately transcends art—it’s a narrative about bodily autonomy, creative freedom, and the painful birth of new cultural norms. As contemporary Chinese artists like Liu Xiaodong continue exploring the human form, they stand on the shoulders of those who dared to bare all for art’s sake.