The subject of this research is the female images in the work of the Chinese artist Lin Fengmian (1900–1991). The article asserts that the appeal to this theme was driven not only by formal and stylistic explorations but also by the deep personal emotional traumas of the artist. The author examines in detail how the tragic fate of his mother and the loss of his first wife shaped his emotional memory. Special attention is given to the connection between key events in the artist's life—from childhood to his time in Hong Kong—and the evolution of female images in his art. The study analyzes how specific experiences transformed into a persistent theme, becoming an important vehicle for expressing his inner spiritual world. It investigates why the female image became a central, recurring theme throughout his life. Using biographical and iconological methods, the research traces the link between key events in Lin Fengmian's life and the evolution of female images in his art. The novelty of the study lies in shifting the focus from the question of "how" to the question of "why": Lin Fengmian's work is viewed through the lens of personal emotional experiences, and his female images are seen not just as a result of formal experiments, but as a means of expressing personal feelings. The main findings of the research are as follows: female images for Lin Fengmian represent a poetic sublimation in painting of irretrievable losses and a form of emotional compensation. The study identifies the stages of the artistic evolution of these images, reflecting different ways of processing internal experiences: from direct projections of loneliness through the elevation of ideals to direct emotional outpouring. A significant contribution of the author to the study of this topic is the proof that it was indeed personal emotional experience that became the fundamental driving force behind the formation of unique visual forms and the spiritual atmosphere of his paintings with female images.
Hu et al. (Sun,) studied this question.