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Abstract

It is often discussed that Jesuit missionaries introduced Christianity for the first time to East Asia. In the same vein, Francisco Xavier (1506-1552) who pioneered Japan is also regarded as the first Jesuit who stepped in East Asia. Based on this series of historical anecdotes, scholars assert that Christian paintings that Jesuit brought with played a significant role in introducing European painting styles to the audience in the late Ming China. China in the Tang dynasty, however, had already contacted with Christianity through followers of Nestorianism, a Christian sect led by Nestorius (386-451). Thus, Christianity and its art had been already introduced and many Chinese Christians existed prior to the late Ming period. After all, Jesuit missionaries were not the first ones who planted Christianity on the soil of China. The main topic in this paper, however, focuses on Christian art that Jesuits introduced to the late Ming China, particularly oil painting or prints of European origin. Christian art works of European origin were soon to be replicated or appropriated first by Chinese converts and later by artists. Through the process of reproduction, late Ming and Qing Chinese painters came to understand and master European painting techniques. Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) who came to China in the late Ming period, was a capable painter himself who left a few surviving paintings today. Ricci came to know Evagelicae Historiae Imagines (Illustrations of the Gospel Stories), a newly published book of contemplation in 1605. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) initiated this book project for evangelical purposes and Jerome Nadal (1507-1580), a Jesuit theologist came in charge of its production. It consists of 153 pages that illustrate both the life of Jesus Christ and biblical doctrines in details. This book with both text and illustration became widely circulated as an evangelizing tool in China. What interests me the most is that the book’s engraving illustrations ended up introducing European painting techniques to Chinese painters in addition to their original evangelical purpose. Jerome Nadal commissioned Bernardino Passeri (1540-1596) to illustrate images for Evagelicae Historiae Imagines. Passeri’s drawings are now in the collection of Windsor Library in the United Kingdom. It seems that Marten de Vos (1532-1603) also participated in this project. Judging by each illustration accompanying with Nadal’s explanatory note, Nadal must have discussed the selection of content with each artist. Although the drawings for the book were completed in 1575 and sent to Antwerp for publishing, a series of war prolonged its publication until 1593, thirteen years after Nadal’s death. The illustrations of Evangelicae Historiae Imagines conveys Mannerist style, a transitional period style coming in between Renaissance style known for perfect symmetry and balance, and Baroque style often characterized by a theatrical composition and a dramatic use of light. Figures appearing in this illustrated book are rather too big or too small, and shading is artificially sharp, and the volume of architectural elements was realized through an extreme contrast of light and dark. Anthony Wierix(c. 1552- c. 1604) and Jerome Wierix(1553 ~ 1619) jointly worked for the production of La Passion du Christ, a book with 22 pages of illustration. It focuses on episodes before and after Crucifixion and resurrection. La Passion du Christ was introduced to China in 1604 and Evagelicae Historiae Imagines in 1605 through Guahgzhou and Nanjing. It is no doubt that Jesuits brought these illustrated books, and later Chinese Christian converts or artists started to consult this book for learning new European pictorial techniques. A rosary book entitled Song nianzhu guicheng published in 1617. Joannes de Rocha (1565-1623), a Portuguese Jesuit active in China was in charge of its publication. Fourteen images in Song nianzhu guicheng were adapted from the Evagelicae Historiae Imagines, however, did not exactly follow the iconography of the original book, but rather replaced European settings or dress with familiar Chinese ones in order to accommodate its Chinese viewers. In 1635, a Jesuit Julius Aleni (1582-1549, 艾儒略) published Evagelicae Historiae Imagines under a new title Tianzhu shengjiao qimeng. Aleni did not change the original illustration, but translated Latin into Chinese. Also, the explanatory notes included in illustrations were translated in Chinese. Above discussed examples are representative Christian art introduced to the late Ming period. I believe that Nadal’s Evagelicae Historiae Imagines stood as a center piece to facilitate the production of a series of Christian book of illustrations in China. The Christian books of doctrinal illustrations played an important role in disseminating and teaching European pictorial techniques to Chinese artists. However, they did not contribute any significant change to the mainstream Chinese art scene because Chinese literati painters who focused on brushing abstract philosophical ideas were not so much interested in European realistic style. After the late Ming period, only the Qing court appreciated the skills of Jesuit painters and commissioned them to produce imperial portraits and documentary paintings. When Christianity was introduced to the late Ming period, it indeed made a relatively significant impact not only on Chinese intellectuals and artists but also on common people. Starting in the eighteenth century, however, Christianity did not follow up its previous dynamics, which had be once led by the first generation of Jesuit missionaries because East Asian intellectuals with a strong background of Confucianism or Taoism, only tended to consider Christianity to be nothing but an outlandish and exotic belief. Also, the Jesuit’s strategy of focusing on converting elite class resulted in failing embracing commoners. In addition, severe persecutions by the ruling household in East Asian countries eventually led to the fatal end of Jesuit missionary works in East Asia. As the expansion of Christianity became limited in East Asian in the expansion of Christianity, European art also fail to develop in Chinese art scene. Although European painting techniques were largely employed in Qing court documentary paintings and portraiture, their impact on literati painters was insignificant. In this regard, one can see a parallel in the fate of Christianity and its art, which walked the same narrow path without leaving significant footsteps on East Asian art scene after the late Ming dynasty.