traditional chinese vs western conceptions of space2
DESCRIPTION
Examines Traditional Chinese Vs Western Conceptions Of Space by looking at scrolls created during Qing Dynasty China.TRANSCRIPT
Robert Ponzio Chair, Fine Arts Oak Hall School Gainesville, FL
“Journey Through Space”
What the Kangxi and Qianlong
Southern Inspection Tour Scrolls reveal about
Chinese and Western Concep'ons of
SPACE
Website studies Qing Dynasty History and Culture by examining Southern InspecGon Tour scrolls commissioned by
Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong
Kangxi Emperor Reigned 1662‐1722
Portrait of the Kangxi Emperor as a Young Man, Anonymous
The Manchus were foreigners who established the Qing Dynasty after
conquering the Ming.
Tradi'onal Western Depic'ons of Space
•Concerned with reproducing how the eye sees
• Image has fixed edges
•Organized based on receding vanishing points
•ArGst controls viewer vantage point
One Point PerspecGve System
GenGle Bellini’s “Procession in Piazza San Marco”, 1496
Tradi'onal Chinese Depic'on of Space
ArGst Wang Hui’s hand scrolls uGlize tradiGonal Chinese depicGons of space.
The Hand Scroll Format
TradiGonal Chinese Maps: Experience of the journey is more important than Scale
SpaGal TransiGon Point
Mist / TransiGon‐ Kangxi Scroll 7
Working with the tradiGonal Chinese concepGons of shi]ing space, Wang Hui uGlizes a thick fog to fade out from one scene to the next.
This creaGve means of transiGoning impressed upon the viewer the percepGon of the passing of Gme.
Elements of the landscape and architecture are subtly revealed as they peak out of the mist, allowing the viewer to gain a sense of traveling over a great distance.
As the mist ulGmately disappears, we then find ourselves in the next town.
Mist / TransiGon‐ Kangxi Scroll 7
Wang Hui shows travelers disappearing into the mist as they embark upon a long journey…
Mist / TransiGon‐ Kangxi Scroll 3
…they eventually reappear a]er an immeasurable passage of Gme and distance.
Mist / TransiGon‐ Kangxi Scroll 3
Qianlong Emperor Reigned 1736‐96
Inaugura'on Portrait of Qianlong (Detail) Giuseppe Cas'glione (Lang Shining), 1736
Expansion of Qing Empire
Qianlong Emperor as the BodhisaDva Manjusri (Detail), face by
Giuseppe Cas'glione (Lang Shining)
Giuseppe CasGglione,
(Lang Shih‐ning), 1688‐1766
Introduces The
Vanishing Point
Influence of Western PerspecGve in Qianlong Scrolls
Qianlong Scroll Number 4 by Xu Yang
More concerned with reproducing how the eye sees than in Kangxi scrolls.
Xu Yang maintains consistent vanishing points throughout duraGon of scroll.
Qianlong Scroll Number 4 by Xu Yang
Figures diminish in size and number limiGng informaGon available to viewer.
Qianlong Scroll Number 6 by Xu Yang
This presentation was complied by Robert Ponzio
Chair, Fine Arts Department, Oak Hall School, Gainesville in response to the workshop:
University of Florida - Asia Studies