The exchange of art, images and artistic techniques between China and Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries

Abstract

The European Age of Discovery witnessed the initiation of frequent communication between Europe and East Asia. Transported via the trade routes of trading vessels, Chinese artworks, including Chinese porcelain, textiles, furniture, popular paintings, woodblock prints and wallpaper, drew major attention from European audiences over several centuries. The imported Chinese artistic products were used as luxury house decorations and collected as personal treasures by those who came from high class families and affluent social backgrounds. The original Chinese art products in Europe contained a large number of popular artworks which were heavily influenced and informed by the texts of ancient Chinese classics, philosophies and religions. These pieces inspired European local artists who produced imitations of Asian motifs on chinoiserie designs which were firmly rooted in both Eastern and Western traditions, having a profound influence on European art taste and social culture. Among the various imported artworks from China, paintings and woodblock prints of beautiful women figures became particularly fashionable. This article takes Suzhou beauty prints and Guangzhou paintings as examples to highlight the reciprocal nature of artistic exchange between Chinese and European art. It traces the process by which popular types of Chinese art entered Europe and influenced the creative processes of local European artists. The similarities and differences between the depictions of female figures in the original Chinese works and some chinoiserie pieces demonstrate the ways in which European artists made use of Chinese models to create a unique new style. It goes on to consider those Suzhou prints and Guangzhou paintings which were influenced by European artistic techniques and examines the reception of such artworks in Europe. Pieces of art from collections located in museums and institutions in Europe will be selected to demonstrate the key features of interest. Examples are also drawn from similar collections of the British Museum, private collectors, and examples of wallpaper from palaces in Germany, Austria and England, which were produced during the eighteenth century.