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GIUSEPPE CASTIGLIONE AND OTHER PAINTERS OF THE QING COURT AT THE MACAO MUSEUM OF ART

This article examines the exhibition "The Golden Exile: Pictorial Expressions of the School of Western Missionaries - Artworks of the Qing Dynasty Court," hosted by the Macao Museum of Art in collaboration with the Palace Museum, Beijing. It underscores Macao’s pivotal historical role as the primary...

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Published in:Review of Culture
Format: Articles
Published: Instituto Cultural de Macau January 2002
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Articles
Online Access:https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40001/2660
Summary:This article examines the exhibition "The Golden Exile: Pictorial Expressions of the School of Western Missionaries - Artworks of the Qing Dynasty Court," hosted by the Macao Museum of Art in collaboration with the Palace Museum, Beijing. It underscores Macao’s pivotal historical role as the primary gateway for the introduction of Western artistic techniques and Catholicism into Imperial China, tracing this influence from early Jesuits like Nicola Giovenni to the renowned Italian missionary painter Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining). The author analyzes Castiglione’s unique synthesis of European perspective and traditional Chinese aesthetics, a "fusion style" that defined court portraiture and painting during the Kangxi and Qianlong reigns. Through an examination of specific masterpieces, such as the portrait of Emperor Qianlong and his concubine in Han costume, the study highlights the collaborative nature of Qing court painting, where multiple artists often contributed to a single work under imperial mandate. Furthermore, the article investigates the formal conventions of imperial art, specifically the "signed as subject" (*Chen*) protocols, while identifying rare and intriguing exceptions in Castiglione's oeuvre that lack traditional signatures or use alternative dedication formats. By documenting the biographies and stylistic evolutions of these artists, the article illustrates how the cultural exchange facilitated by Macao fostered an enduring artistic heritage that remains an integral part of China’s art history.
ISSN:1682-1106

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