DOI chapter:
Essays
DOI chapter:Ning, Yao: Propagating the Confucian Virtues: Chinese Artists in Serialized Printed Portrait Books
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70035#0036
Propagating the Confucian Virtues
moments had been favoured in the Northern Song dynasty, especially in the court
during the Huizong#^ reign (1101-1125).
Before Chen Hongshou, the depiction of a human figure seen from the back was
very rare both in Chinese figure painting and in woodblock printing. Chen Hongshou
was from Zhuji § in today's Zhejiang province, a city not far from Nanjing,
Nanchang and Jinjiang, where the Jesuits Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) and Giulio Aleni
(1582-1649) were active for a period of time. As such, he had many opportunities to
encounter Western art. The Song nianzhu guicheng (Method of Reciting
the Rosary) was the first illustrated Christian publication produced in China in 1619,
attributed to Gaspar Ferreira (1571-1649) and Joao da Rocha (1565-1623). The
standing figure on the lower left is shown in a back view (Fig. 11). Such a pose must
have been quite remarkable at the time for Chinese artists. The clouds are not
depicted realistically, but rather presented as auspicious. Quite obviously, the
woodcut reproduces an illustration from Jeronimo Nadals (1507-1580) Evangelicae
historiae imagines (Antwerp 1593), although some details have been changed: The
skeleton in the area beneath Jesus's feet has been omitted and the chiaroscuro effect
has completely disappeared (Fig. 12). Chen Hongshou and Jin Guliang did not
necessarily have access to this Western print, but Western ways of representing most
certainly inspired the artists. After the period of early encounter techniques of
crosshatching, chiaroscuro and linear perspective can be observed widely in
numerous prints in Suzhou and other areas from the late seventeenth-century
onwards.45 Thus, the role of Western art can be understood as a stimulus providing
Chinese artists with new techniques and ideas and propelling them to move in
directions they would not otherwise have considered.
The Transformations in the Nineteenth Century
While the artistic and technical knowledge and devices brought by the Jesuits elicited
the fascination of Chinese artists and scholars, the goal of the general conversion of
China to a Christian country failed. In 1723 the Qing government issued a general
prohibition against Christianity. In the eighteenth century, Chinese classical scholars
shared a passion for antiquity and new forms of scholarship - a restoration of ancient
learning.46 The re-appropriation of ancient wisdom - an attempt to return to ancient
learning - can be understood as a reaction spurred by the European achievements
such as natural studies and mathematical astronomy brought by the Jesuits in the
seventeenth century. For example, many mathematical texts from the Song and Yuan
periods were successfully reconstructed.47 Kaozheng xue evidential research,
came into being and together with jinshi xue epigraphical studies, both of
them flourished in the nineteenth century.
China experienced dramatic shifts concerning political change, social upheaval
and communications technology in the nineteenth century. The First Opium War of
1839-1842 forced China to make concessions to foreign powers. During the Taiping
29
moments had been favoured in the Northern Song dynasty, especially in the court
during the Huizong#^ reign (1101-1125).
Before Chen Hongshou, the depiction of a human figure seen from the back was
very rare both in Chinese figure painting and in woodblock printing. Chen Hongshou
was from Zhuji § in today's Zhejiang province, a city not far from Nanjing,
Nanchang and Jinjiang, where the Jesuits Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) and Giulio Aleni
(1582-1649) were active for a period of time. As such, he had many opportunities to
encounter Western art. The Song nianzhu guicheng (Method of Reciting
the Rosary) was the first illustrated Christian publication produced in China in 1619,
attributed to Gaspar Ferreira (1571-1649) and Joao da Rocha (1565-1623). The
standing figure on the lower left is shown in a back view (Fig. 11). Such a pose must
have been quite remarkable at the time for Chinese artists. The clouds are not
depicted realistically, but rather presented as auspicious. Quite obviously, the
woodcut reproduces an illustration from Jeronimo Nadals (1507-1580) Evangelicae
historiae imagines (Antwerp 1593), although some details have been changed: The
skeleton in the area beneath Jesus's feet has been omitted and the chiaroscuro effect
has completely disappeared (Fig. 12). Chen Hongshou and Jin Guliang did not
necessarily have access to this Western print, but Western ways of representing most
certainly inspired the artists. After the period of early encounter techniques of
crosshatching, chiaroscuro and linear perspective can be observed widely in
numerous prints in Suzhou and other areas from the late seventeenth-century
onwards.45 Thus, the role of Western art can be understood as a stimulus providing
Chinese artists with new techniques and ideas and propelling them to move in
directions they would not otherwise have considered.
The Transformations in the Nineteenth Century
While the artistic and technical knowledge and devices brought by the Jesuits elicited
the fascination of Chinese artists and scholars, the goal of the general conversion of
China to a Christian country failed. In 1723 the Qing government issued a general
prohibition against Christianity. In the eighteenth century, Chinese classical scholars
shared a passion for antiquity and new forms of scholarship - a restoration of ancient
learning.46 The re-appropriation of ancient wisdom - an attempt to return to ancient
learning - can be understood as a reaction spurred by the European achievements
such as natural studies and mathematical astronomy brought by the Jesuits in the
seventeenth century. For example, many mathematical texts from the Song and Yuan
periods were successfully reconstructed.47 Kaozheng xue evidential research,
came into being and together with jinshi xue epigraphical studies, both of
them flourished in the nineteenth century.
China experienced dramatic shifts concerning political change, social upheaval
and communications technology in the nineteenth century. The First Opium War of
1839-1842 forced China to make concessions to foreign powers. During the Taiping
29