Western Influences on Chinese Painting
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The traditional view of Western influences on Chinese painting has been that the first influences derived from Chinese artists' observation of the work of European artists in China in the eighteenth century. These influences have not been regarded as being of much significance and, in fact, were usually just dismissed as the aberrations of a few painters who placed themselves outside the long Chinese tradition. James Cahill and others have proposed, however, that earlier influences of a more substantial kind are to be found in the work of landscape painters of the late Ming and early Ch'ing periods. An examination of Cahill's claims shows how the European influence was integrated into the work of certain painters and eventually passed on to others who followed them. These influences do not include outright changes in subject matter or blatant alterations in style. Instead they involve the assimilation of techniques and approaches from Western art that were integrated into the Chinese tradition. The Ming Dynasty, which had run from 1368 to 1644, collapsed in the face of peasant uprisings and the invasion of Manchurian forces from the north. The new Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1912) quickly assimilated Chinese ways but many of the artists associated with the Ming chose internal exile or seclusion rather than cooperate with the new rulers. One group of painters known as the "Survivors" or "Individualists" flourished and their careers bridged the two dynasties. The work of th
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r period, prints brought by the Jesuits began to suggest alternatives to some Chinese painters.
The strain of European influence traced by Cahill includes a number of artists. But the general thrust of his argument can be understood with some principal examples: the Ming painter Wu Pin (ca. 1568-1626); the early Ch'ing Individualist painter Kung Hsien (1617-1689); and Tao--chi (1641-after 1710) (also known as Shih T'ao), who was among the Four Eminent Monk-Painters who had withdrawn to monasteries.
All the painters Cahill discusses retained their allegiance to traditional painting. While their rejection of the Academicism of Tung meant they were somewhat more open to other influences, these painters always claimed the painters of the past as the sources of their inspiration. Neither Wu Pin nor Kung Hsien ever claimed any European influence in their works. This, combined with the fact that the painters always remained within the Chinese tradition, made it difficult for art historians to see the European influence. But, as Cahill says, this is why the influence is so important. If the painters had merely copied the styles of the foreign materials then the "cross-cultural episode" might be interesting but it would not have
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Approximate Word count = 1767
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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