Jesuit Painting in China between 1582 and 1644:

A Case Study of Cultural and Spiritual Exchange

Abstract

This paper explores artistic, cultural, devotional and spiritual aspects of the first period of Jesuit painting in China from 1582 to 1644. This time span corresponds to the last years of the Ming Dynasty. Jesuit painting continued a Christian legacy dating from the 7th-8th centuries. However, Jesuit painting differed from previous Christian painting in China because of its strategic role in missionary activity. The Jesuits envisaged a strategy to approach both the emperor and potential patrons, taking advantage of the curiosity and openness a Chinese audience might feel for Christian painting. The strong Chinese influence shown by Jesuit painting must be further linked to the missionary strategy that accepted and worked with elements of the culture and the spirituality of the local audience. Its prototypes were mainly European. These paintings would be commissioned to Chinese and other Asian artists, such as Japanese painters. The circulation of Mexican paintings in China from 1578 may explain some similarities between the paintings of these two distant geographic areas. Eventually, Chinese painting would be influenced by European art.