'Dramatic' Jesuit paintings in Three Emperors exhibition

The Jesuits figure prominently in a magnificent exhibition being staged at the Royal Academy of Arts in London until mid-April.  China: The Three Emperors, 1662 - 1795 is devoted to the artistic and cultural riches of Imperial China - in particular the three most powerful rulers of China's last dynasty, the Qing: the Emperors Kangxi (1662 - 1722), Yongzheng (1723 - 35) and Qianlong (1736 - 95).

Each Emperor employed the greatest artists and craftsmen of his day to glorify his rule.  The Qing were curious about foreign dress and practices and recorded them in several paintings.  The Jesuits, who had gone to China to evangelise in the 16th and 17th centuries, became important members of the Qing Court, providing technical advice on scientific instruments and inspiring Chinese court artists to emulate foreign styles.  The Chinese regarded accurate astronomical knowledge as a powerful force, as proper understanding of the heavenly bodies was, to their minds, an essential key to interpreting the ways of heaven.  The Jesuits supplied the court with maps, instruments and treatises on mathematics and astronomy.  They also oversaw the casting of instruments for the imperial observatory.

The period of Emperor Qianlong was the most prosperous time in Qing Dynasty in Chinese history, and art also came to its peak.  The Imperial Painting Academy included Jesuits from France, Bohemia and Italy.  One of the most talented and renowned artists in China at that time was Giuseppe Castiglione, an Italian Jesuit, whose Chinese name was Lang Shining.  The Emperor Kangxi was very fond of Castiglione's oil paintings, and this fact kept him in the court till the end of his life.  Many of his works were based on the true incidents, and have great historical value nowadays.

Jessica Rawson of the Royal Academy of Arts says Castiglione was very influential: 'His painting of a white hawk, an analogue for the Yongzheng Emperor, and the portrait of the Qianlong Emperor on horseback are among some of the most dramatic works in the exhibition.  Castiglione combined Western perspective and use of light and shade with Chinese subjects and composition.'

Christian Marte, an Austrian Jesuit studying in London, visited the exhibition shortly after Christmas. 'I was astonished how many times the Jesuits were mentioned,' he said afterwards. 'In nearly every part of the exhibition you will find comments on Jesuits and the Society (of Jesus).  Even the big white hawk used as its logo was painted by Castigliogne!'
 
Giuseppe Castiglione died in 1766, and was buried in Beijing.  His works, and other Jesuit influences on imperial China, can be seen in the Three Emperors exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art in Piccadilly, until 17 April 2006.




 Royal Academy of Arts

 Jesuits in Asia