NUMBER 27 ReportAPRIL • 2003 CENTER for the PACIFIC RIM THE CENTER FOR THE “Of the Mind and the Eye: Jesuit Artists PACIFIC RIM PROMOTES understanding, communica- in the Forbidden City in the Seventeenth tion, and cooperation among the cultures and economies of the Pacific and Eighteenth Centuries” Rim and provides leader- ship in strengthening the position of the San Francisco Bay Area as a pre-eminent American During a Gala week celebrating Asian and Western Elisabetta Corsi is cur- gateway to the Pacific. It fusion in October 2002, the USF Center for the rently a professor of literary fulfills its mission through interdisciplinary academic Pacific Rim and its Ricci Institute presented a Chinese at the Center for programs, research, print Charles W. Stewart Distinguished lecture program Asian and African Studies at and online publications, entitled “Of the Mind and the Eye: Jesuit Artists in El Colegio de México. She scholarly exchanges, the Forbidden City in the Seventeenth and specialized in classical conferences, and other Pacific Rim outreach activities. Eighteenth Centuries.” This issue of Chinese and philology of lit- Report includes the presentations by Lauren Arnold erary Chinese at Beijing and Elisabetta Corsi. University from 1985 to 1987 and earned her Ph.D. THE RICCI INSTITUTE IS degree from the State University of Rome. Her part of the Center for the Lauren Arnold is an inde- research interests focus on the cultural meaning of Pacific Rim. It is a leading pendent scholar affiliated interdisciplinary research perspective as it is extensively used in fresco paint- center that promotes, in the with the USF Ricci Institute ings of major Jesuit churches and on the presence of spirit of Matteo Ricci, the as a research fellow. She Italian perspective painters at the Chinese imperial encounter of Chinese graduated from the court during the seventeenth and eighteenth cen- culture and Christian faith University of Michigan with by conducting research turies. Among her recent publications is “Jesuit projects, organizing confer- an MA in art history and Perspective at the Qing Court: Chinese Painters, ences and producing schol- with additional graduate Italian Technique, and the Science of Vision.” arly publications. With its work in museum practice. Her research focuses on 80,000-volume Chinese st East-West cultural and artistic exchange, as reflected Library and The Ricci 21 N N N Century Roundtable, the in her recent book, Princely Gifts and Papal WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE the EDS-Stewart Chair for Institute offers premier Treasures: The Franciscan Mission to China and Its Chinese-Western Cultural History at the USF Ricci Institute for resources in the study of Influence on the Art of the West 1250–1350. Since funding this issue of Pacific Rim Report and partial sponsorship Christianity in China. of this lecture. WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE the Charles W. Stewart 2002 she has presented lectures in San Francisco, Endowed Lecture Fund at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Washington D.C. on early for partially funding this lecture. European missionary presence in China, emphasiz- ing artistic exchange between these cultures. Introduction: Of the Mind and One particular Jesuit, the artist Giuseppe Castiglione, and his relationship with the Qianlong the Eye emperor, will be our particular focus in this lecture. Lauren Arnold Castiglione had a warm working relationship with the Ricci Institute, University of San Francisco, USA emperor, full of respect and affection on both sides. Yet, at times, they both experienced tension due to cultural y subject is Jesuit missionaries—many of differences, and more than once Qianlong displayed whom served as artists at the imperial anger toward his old retainer when missionary issues MChinese court—and their contribution to got in their way. Nevertheless, the emperor truly appre- East-West exchange during the late seventeenth ciated Castiglione’s gift in portraying him as a forceful through the late eighteenth centuries. We’re going to leader to the outside world [Figure 1]. put under a microscope the cultural differences that Of the Mind: Matteo Ricci and the Early Jesuits each side brought to this exchange, and examine how in the Forbidden City these differences in world view ultimately colored the Historically, the Jesuits had served at the Chinese outcome of this singular period of encounter. In addi- imperial court since the arrival of Matteo Ricci, tion, I’ll explore the Jesuits’ peculiar and often tenuous around 1600. From the very beginning of their mis- position in the Forbidden City and offer some insights sion to China, Ricci urged his fellow Jesuits to master on what might have motivated them to stay and work the language, to adapt to and conform to Chinese in China. “Jesuit artists at the ways whenever possible, and to make themselves—in imperial court often Although their work was supported at the highest dress and manner—less conspicuous as foreigners. levels and they never had to worry about supplies or produced works of Figure 2, an commissions coming their way, Jesuit artists at the art under grueling image of Matteo imperial court often produced works of art under gruel- and humiliating Ricci, is from a rare ing and humiliating conditions. Larger issues were often conditions.” pamphlet of his at play here, such as their position as foreign servants Chinese writings, of the emperor and their often conflicting role as mis- now in the Vatican sionaries in a country whose government—headed by Library. It shows the very man they served—was often suspicious of, Ricci dressed as a and frequently hostile to their religion. Confucian scholar, a likeness that he adopted in his deal- ings with wealthy and learned Chinese. He found that they instantly respected him when Fig. 2 Portrait of Matteo Ricci, in Giulio Aleni, ca. 1616, Biblioteca he dressed this way, Apostolica Vaticana. and his own amazing capacity for the Chinese language and Confucian litera- ture, along with his ability to write in Chinese, only confirmed their admiration for him.1 Of the Eye: Matteo Ricci Introduces Western Iconography to China Fig. 1 Emperor Qianlong Inspecting his Troops, Ricci was primarily a missionary—we should never Giuseppe Castiglione, ca. 1745, Forbidden City. forget this—and he sought at every turn to introduce abbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbc 2 N The Ricci Institute at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim Christianity to the Chinese. To this end, he brought ond generation of native-born Jesuits who trained with him illustrated books and oil paintings to help under Ricci’s followers. educate and convert. He said, “These images are nec- Figure 4 depicts essary to allow us to console and help new Wu Li, who lived 2 converts.” He used woodblock prints extensively, from 1632 until and some fine attempts at translating traditional 1718. He was a European Christian images into Chinese forms exist deeply sensitive 3 today in the Vatican library. man, a poet in But beyond introducing Christian themes, or addition to being a iconography, to the Chinese, it quickly became appar- painter, who very ent that there were going to be significant cultural and early on showed a traditional barriers to understanding each other’s art— spiritual leaning. on both sides. Matteo Ricci, for all his openness to and As a child, his par- admiration of Chinese culture, and his rapid absorp- ents had him bap- Fig. 4 Portrait of Wu Li. tion of their language and way of life, ultimately could tized by one of the not cross the bridge to appreciate the Chinese way of early followers of Matteo Ricci, but he only truly painting. embraced Christianity late in life. After the traumatic This blind eye to an extraordinary visual culture is loss of his wife and his mother in the same year apparent in some of his writings back to Europe: “The (1661), his spiritual yearnings became intense, and for many years he explored Zen Buddhism and Confucian Chinese use pictures extensively . but in the produc- "Our painting does teachings. tion of these they have not at all acquired the skill of not seek physical Europeans. They know nothing of the art of painting in But he found the answer to his yearnings in the likeness and does oil or the use of perspective, with the result that [the teachings of Christ. He became a Jesuit novice at the not depend on fixed pictures] are lacking any vitality.”4 age of forty-five in 1682 and spent six years at the sem- patterns . we call The Chinese Eye: The Jesuit Wu Li inary of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Macao. There he was it divine and overwhelmed with the beauty of the liturgy, the That anyone could say that a painting such as this, untrammeled . .” swelling organ music that accompanied Mass, and the titled Clouds White, Mountains Blue [Figure 3], lacked other European accoutrements of his new faith. He vitality shows a real visual limitation. But interesting- wrote some of his most sensitive poetry during this ly enough, this painting, too, was done by a Jesuit. period, describing his feelings. On receiving the Except this Jesuit was native to China. The landscape Eucharist he wrote, “Christ’s sacrifice benefits all peo- is by Wu Li, who was already one of the acknowl- ple, being the sacred food of the Spirit. Christ forgives edged “Six Masters of the Early Qing Dynasty” when all errors and human faults. Even to a sinful person he became a convert to Christianity. Ultimately Wu Li like me. I am so touched that I cannot contain my became a Jesuit priest, a member of the sizable sec- tears.”5 Wu Li and Matteo Ricci: Two Jesuits Of One Mind but of Two Opposing Artistic Eyes As fascinating as Wu Li’s embracing of the Jesuit way of life was, his career as a painter is even more fasci- nating because he never embraced the European way of painting.