Wei Jie

Chinese oil painting is an interpretation of the Chinese concept of "mood" expressed using the Western style techniques. Visual means of Western art are exploited in Chinese oil painting to show the worldview of the Chinese people. In the paintings interpreting the role of Chinese traditional opera the artist strives to reflect the inner world of the characters and reveal the dramatic beauty of their image. In the article the author analyses the works of the following Chinese artists: Li Hongbin, Jiang Yingjiu, Liu Wenjin, Deng Mingli, Lin Fengmian and Liu Mengdi. As a result, the author reveals different approaches to depicting some of the main roles of the Beijing opera: male characters "sheng" and female characters 'dan". Although the artists' depictions of characters in theatrical productions normally presuppose depicting people, Chinese works do not follow this trend (as opposed to the Western ones). Chinese artists create an ideal image of a dramatic character rather than portraying a specific personality. Such an image is intended to demonstrate the canonical character; thus, the character's appearance has to be exaggerated. The researcher uses such scientific methods as formal stylistic analysis, iconographic analysis, and systematization. As a result of the research, the author identifies both general trends and individual features in representing the images of the characters of the Beijing opera in Chinese oil paintings. The aforementioned artists are presumed to be inspired by the canonical characters and images of the characters, but undertake different ways to create them in their works.