Abstract:
Between 16th to 18th centuries, both the eastern and western culture
entered a period of new art, ideas and trade. Although both cultures have been
generally viewed separately through different lenses, recent scholarships have
begun questioning the interconnections and interactions between the two. I am
interested in situating my thesis topic around the artistic exchanges between
Europe and China and more specifically the inception of western perspectival
illusionistic technique in Chinese art. One of the outcomes from this artistic
exposure was a new form of imperial art that managed to break away from the
traditional canon of Chinese art. The impact of this new Qing imperial art created
social tensions, conflict and possibly enchantment for its contemporary viewers.
Some of these images were generally not well-received by majority of the Qing
court at first. However, these artworks were only made possible due to the Qing
emperors reacting positively towards illusionistic paintings. One of the questions
are, why did the Qing emperors find these illusionistic paintings pleasing or
useful as they steered away from the philosophy of Chinese art that was instilled
for over a thousand years? This paper uses the concepts of transculturation and
object agency to see how the incorporation of western techniques may have
functioned in some Qing imperial art commissions. Ultimately, I suggest that
these new forms of art, which utilize western illusionistic techniques, are “agents”
that allowed the Emperor to convey a political message to viewers, his subjects,
and allow the Emperor to indirectly exercise his authority.
