Category
Portrayals from a Brush Divine: A Special Exhibition on the Tricentennial of Giuseppe Castiglione's Arrival in China
- The National Palace Museum
- Editor-in-Chief: Ho Chuan-Hsing
- Language: Chinese and English
- 2015 Edition
- ISBN 978-957-562-735-5
- Softcover
- HK$600.00
This year, 2015, marks the ninetieth anniversary of the National Palace Museum's beginnings and also the tri-centennial of Giuseppe Castiglione's arrival in China. More than two years ago, the National Palace Museum decided to put together a special exhibition on Castiglione's achievements in fusing Chinese and Western painting. This choice not only expresses their utmost respect for the contributions of this Italian Jesuit to Chinese painting, the theme also coincides with the curatorial direction of the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum as devoted to Asian art and culture. Employing a macrocosmic approach to cultural exchange, they have presented the lofty attainment in combining Chinese and Western styles through the paintings of Castiglione. The title of this exhibition, "Portrayals from a Brush Divine," makes reference to Castiglione as a Jesuit and more importantly to the heavenly inspiration of his painting. The display is divided into six parts: "The Years Before and After Coming to China," "A New Model of Academic Painting," "Conceiving and Completing ‘One Hundred Horses,'" "Commemoration and Ceremony in Qing Court Painting," "Tributes to Realism for Imperial Review," and "Documenting Military Achievements in Copperplate Prints." Featuring one hundred objects, they provide a comprehensive overview of Castiglione's development in painting and his contributions to the history of Sino-Western exchange in the eighteenth century.