From the beginning of the 20th century, art in China had the mission of supporting the young and fragile Chinese Republic, and to be closed as possible to its people, Chinese artists who left to study repeating were Confronted with Western Modern art, which clemed its autonomy: two irreconcilable conceptions of art In this article, I shall study how today’s Chinese art highlights this Encounter with Western culture and analysis of the different writings of the time, through the evolution of the lexicon used from the May Fourth (1919) movement to the globalised era. ResumeSince art in China, from the beginning of the 20th century, is intended to support the young and fragile Chinese Republic and to be closest to the people, Chinese artists who study abroad are confronted with modern Western art, which claims its autonomy: two irreconcilable concepts of art. This article sets out how Chinese art critics today characterise this meeting with Western culture and how they analyse the different writings of the time, through the evolution of the lexicon used, from the movement of the Fourth May (1919) to the age of globalisation.