From the Desk of Tom Collins |
From the Desk of Tom Collins |
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Interesting Comment from Marcelle Comeau |
| Just for fun I cut and pasted the chinese symbol from the upper right of the photo into google images (just the symbol) and the name of the artist came up in one of the links. I them tried the same thing for the symbol on the upper left and links to the actual image came up. I was just playing to see what the computer would do with those symbols. Pretty amazing... Marcelle Comeau |
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| Direction of the Horse's Head |
Ayusi Scattering Rebels with Upraised Spear
Lang Shih-ning (Giuseppe Castiglione, 1688-1766), Ch'ing dynasty
Handscroll, ink and color on paper, 27.1 x 104.4 cm
The K'ang-hsi Emperor (r. 1662-1722) personally led battles against the Zunghar tribe
three times, finally bringing their submission to the Ch'ing as Outer Mongolia from this
time acknowledged obedience to China. In the reign of the Yung-cheng Emperor (r.
1723-1735), however, the Zunghar leader Galdantseren rebelled again, and after a fierce
battle, a peace settlement was agreed upon. In 1755, during the reign of the Ch'ien-lung
Emperor (r. 1735-1796), the Zunghar khan Dawats and Tsarist Russia collaborated,
leading to another rebellion. After a pincer attack led by Ch'ing armies, Dawats fled to
the Ko-teng mountains northwest of I-li, where he became entrenched. The person in
this painting, Ayusi, led more than 20 cavalry in successfully breaking their defenses,
forcing Dawats to flee south to T'ien-shan, and thereby bringing the chaos of the
Zunghar rebellion to a temporary halt.
When Ayusi returned to court, the Ch'ien-lung Emperor, appreciating the fact that his
military leader faced death in the remote border regions, had Giuseppe Castiglione paint
a commemorative portrait emulating the portraiture of 28 meritorious officials of the
Eastern Han dynasty at Yün-t'ai and 24 meritorious officials at the Ling-yen Pavilion in
the T'ang. Though Ayusi's biography does not appear in Draft of the History of the
Ch'ing, "being known to all for thousands of years" via this painting has also brought
him honor.
Castiglione, an Italian Jesuit who painted for the court and went by the Chinese name
Lang Shih-ning, did this painting at the age of 66. He used the method of eliminating the
background and focusing entirely on the figure and his mount. Ayusi as he appears here
is wearing a peacock-feather warming cap and a protective suit, while strapped to his
back is a musket rifle and to his waist a quiver of arrows. With one hand holding the
reigns and the other a spear-lance, he concentrates in his heroic advance. The horse
appears against a spotless background devoid of any rocks or trees, not even the
ground. This suggests a sense of speed as if in flight, but also appears frozen in time,
creating an extremely "moving" scene!
www.npm.gov.tw/exh94/firstfamily/selections_EN_02.html#
Lang Shih-ning (Giuseppe Castiglione, 1688-1766), Ch'ing dynasty
Handscroll, ink and color on paper, 27.1 x 104.4 cm
The K'ang-hsi Emperor (r. 1662-1722) personally led battles against the Zunghar tribe
three times, finally bringing their submission to the Ch'ing as Outer Mongolia from this
time acknowledged obedience to China. In the reign of the Yung-cheng Emperor (r.
1723-1735), however, the Zunghar leader Galdantseren rebelled again, and after a fierce
battle, a peace settlement was agreed upon. In 1755, during the reign of the Ch'ien-lung
Emperor (r. 1735-1796), the Zunghar khan Dawats and Tsarist Russia collaborated,
leading to another rebellion. After a pincer attack led by Ch'ing armies, Dawats fled to
the Ko-teng mountains northwest of I-li, where he became entrenched. The person in
this painting, Ayusi, led more than 20 cavalry in successfully breaking their defenses,
forcing Dawats to flee south to T'ien-shan, and thereby bringing the chaos of the
Zunghar rebellion to a temporary halt.
When Ayusi returned to court, the Ch'ien-lung Emperor, appreciating the fact that his
military leader faced death in the remote border regions, had Giuseppe Castiglione paint
a commemorative portrait emulating the portraiture of 28 meritorious officials of the
Eastern Han dynasty at Yün-t'ai and 24 meritorious officials at the Ling-yen Pavilion in
the T'ang. Though Ayusi's biography does not appear in Draft of the History of the
Ch'ing, "being known to all for thousands of years" via this painting has also brought
him honor.
Castiglione, an Italian Jesuit who painted for the court and went by the Chinese name
Lang Shih-ning, did this painting at the age of 66. He used the method of eliminating the
background and focusing entirely on the figure and his mount. Ayusi as he appears here
is wearing a peacock-feather warming cap and a protective suit, while strapped to his
back is a musket rifle and to his waist a quiver of arrows. With one hand holding the
reigns and the other a spear-lance, he concentrates in his heroic advance. The horse
appears against a spotless background devoid of any rocks or trees, not even the
ground. This suggests a sense of speed as if in flight, but also appears frozen in time,
creating an extremely "moving" scene!
www.npm.gov.tw/exh94/firstfamily/selections_EN_02.html#
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| If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book. |
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| Enter Contest |
| Quiz #429 - February 16, 2014 |
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| Thanks to Quiz Poet Laureate Robert Edward McKenna for submitting this quiz. |
| To see the results of our 11th Occasional Photoqiz Click here. |
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| TinEye Alert You can find this photo on TinEye.com, but the quiz will be a lot more fun if you solve the puzzle on your own. |
| Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining) |
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| Congratulations to Our Winners! Janice M Sellers Arthur Hartwell John Thatcher Judy Pfaff Tom Collins Daniel Jolley Jim Kiser Ida Sanchez Carol Farrant Edna Cardinal Nelsen Spickard Carol Farrant Tynan Peterson Diane Burkett Cynthia Costigan Kim Richardson Owen Blevins Patty K Marcelle Comeau Mike Dalton Grace Hertz and Mary Turner Team Fletcher |
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How Ida Solved the Puzzle |
| This was a misleading process with partial clues. First I just googled "Chinese warrior horse" and went to images. Found in Wikipedia a portrait of Wu Fu in a handscroll and recognized the technique. It did not cite the author, but it mentioned the year, the dynasty, and the emperor in turn. Due to the Year of the Horse that just started, several websites place this picture and below they mention "100 horses" by Castiglione. Bingo, that's it! Except that the Taipei Museum has its website down. So I ketp looking, qing dynasty hand scroll, and another one appeared, same technique. It did mention it was, indeed, Castiglione, so I only needed to find the name of the piece. Finally one of the websites that uses it, gave credit to Wikimedia Commons and dated it at 1755. A Google search with the Chinese name of the artist and the date gave me the file and the name in Chinese. Googling "Giuseppe Castigilone 1755 honor" led me to the website that best describes the artwork: arts.cultural-china.com/en/62Artsll475.html But the best part was googling the title of the piece in Chinese. and finding a listing that explained the history and the poem as a whole (mentioned above). I guess the Emperor Qinglong succeeded in making sure Ayusi was remembered in posterity. Ida Sanchez |
Giuseppe Castiglione, S.J. (July 19, 1688
– July 17, 1766), was an Italian Jesuit lay
brother who served as a missionary in
China, where he became a painter at the
court of the emperor.
Castiglione was born on July 19, 1688, in
the central San Marcellino district of
Milan, Italy, the site of a renowned
Botteghe degli Stampator painting studio.
As a youth, Castiglione learned to paint
from Carlo Cornara at the studio, and he
also came under the influence of the
famous painter Andrea Pozzo, a member
of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) at
Trento. In 1707, at the age of 19,
Castiglione formally entered the Society
and traveled to the prosperous city of
Genoa for further training. By this time,
he had already achieved some repute as a
painter and was invited to do wall
paintings at Jesuit churches. At the age of
27, he received instructions to go to
China as a missionary. Along the way, he
did wall paintings in the St. Francis
Borgia in the Church of the novitiate,
today Coimbra's Cathedral in Portugal,
and completed a painting of the
circumcision on the main altar of the
church. He also did wall paintings in the
Jesuit church in Macau.
Castiglione's style was based on the
emphasis on color, perspective, and light
found in Italian Renaissance art. In China,
where Castiglione went by the Chinese
name Lang Shining, he came to the
attention of the Qianlong emperor (r.
1736-1795) and served as an artist for the
court. Castiglione eventually became a
respected painter and earned the
appreciation of the Qianlong emperor,
which was a considerable honor for a
foreign artist at the time.
Castiglione's work served as the subject
for a series of "Battle Prints"
commissioned by the Emperor to
commemorate his military campaigns.
Small-scale copies of his paintings were
shipped to Paris and rendered into
copperplate intagio before being returned
to China. A series of sixteen prints by
Castiglione and his contemporaries Jean-
Denis Attiret, Ignatius Sichelbart and Jean-
Damascène Sallusti were created in this
way.
Following the taste and tradition of
painting in China, Castiglione was able to
forge a new style that combined elements
with his Western training in art. His
paintings were done with Chinese
materials but often incorporate Western
techniques of shading and atmospheric
perspective, imparting a sense of realism
to the native themes. Western style was
modified according to Chinese taste -
strong shadows used in chiaroscuro
techniques were unacceptable as Emperor
Qianlong thought that shadows looked
like dirt, therefore when Castiglione
painted the emperor, the intensity of the
light was reduced so that there was no
shadow on the face, and the features
were distinct.
In addition to his demonstrable skill as a
painter, he was also in charge of
designing the Western-Style Palaces in
– July 17, 1766), was an Italian Jesuit lay
brother who served as a missionary in
China, where he became a painter at the
court of the emperor.
Castiglione was born on July 19, 1688, in
the central San Marcellino district of
Milan, Italy, the site of a renowned
Botteghe degli Stampator painting studio.
As a youth, Castiglione learned to paint
from Carlo Cornara at the studio, and he
also came under the influence of the
famous painter Andrea Pozzo, a member
of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) at
Trento. In 1707, at the age of 19,
Castiglione formally entered the Society
and traveled to the prosperous city of
Genoa for further training. By this time,
he had already achieved some repute as a
painter and was invited to do wall
paintings at Jesuit churches. At the age of
27, he received instructions to go to
China as a missionary. Along the way, he
did wall paintings in the St. Francis
Borgia in the Church of the novitiate,
today Coimbra's Cathedral in Portugal,
and completed a painting of the
circumcision on the main altar of the
church. He also did wall paintings in the
Jesuit church in Macau.
Castiglione's style was based on the
emphasis on color, perspective, and light
found in Italian Renaissance art. In China,
where Castiglione went by the Chinese
name Lang Shining, he came to the
attention of the Qianlong emperor (r.
1736-1795) and served as an artist for the
court. Castiglione eventually became a
respected painter and earned the
appreciation of the Qianlong emperor,
which was a considerable honor for a
foreign artist at the time.
Castiglione's work served as the subject
for a series of "Battle Prints"
commissioned by the Emperor to
commemorate his military campaigns.
Small-scale copies of his paintings were
shipped to Paris and rendered into
copperplate intagio before being returned
to China. A series of sixteen prints by
Castiglione and his contemporaries Jean-
Denis Attiret, Ignatius Sichelbart and Jean-
Damascène Sallusti were created in this
way.
Following the taste and tradition of
painting in China, Castiglione was able to
forge a new style that combined elements
with his Western training in art. His
paintings were done with Chinese
materials but often incorporate Western
techniques of shading and atmospheric
perspective, imparting a sense of realism
to the native themes. Western style was
modified according to Chinese taste -
strong shadows used in chiaroscuro
techniques were unacceptable as Emperor
Qianlong thought that shadows looked
like dirt, therefore when Castiglione
painted the emperor, the intensity of the
light was reduced so that there was no
shadow on the face, and the features
were distinct.
In addition to his demonstrable skill as a
painter, he was also in charge of
designing the Western-Style Palaces in
| The Qianlong Emperor chasing a deer on a hunting trip |
| Ayusi assailing the rebels with a lance |
the imperial gardens of the Old Summer Palace. Furthermore, on behalf of the Church,
he sought and received protection for missionaries from the Ch'ien-lung Emperor.
Some of his earliest paintings done in China, such as "Assembled Auspiciousness" and
"A Hundred Steeds," are now in the collection of the National Palace Museum.
Castiglione also left behind many portraits of the emperor and took part in cooperative
painting projects at court.
Even before Giuseppe Castiglione came to China, Western-style painting could be found
at the Ch'ing court. However, after his arrival and through his efforts, the techniques of
Western perspective and shading reached a peak of assimilation in certain aspects of
Chinese painting, forming a style that seamlessly combined the techniques of Western
realism with the aesthetics of Oriental appreciation. During the reign of the Ch'ien-lung
Emperor, these ultra-refined and opulently colored works merging Chinese and Western
art became some of the most brilliant and fascinating images to symbolize the
prosperity and cultural vision of the Ch'ing court.
This prominent Jesuit artist, architect, and missionary died in Beijing in 1766.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Castiglione_(Jesuit)
www.chinaonlinemuseum.com/painting-lang-shining.php
www.npm.gov.tw/exh96/newvision/introduction_en.html
he sought and received protection for missionaries from the Ch'ien-lung Emperor.
Some of his earliest paintings done in China, such as "Assembled Auspiciousness" and
"A Hundred Steeds," are now in the collection of the National Palace Museum.
Castiglione also left behind many portraits of the emperor and took part in cooperative
painting projects at court.
Even before Giuseppe Castiglione came to China, Western-style painting could be found
at the Ch'ing court. However, after his arrival and through his efforts, the techniques of
Western perspective and shading reached a peak of assimilation in certain aspects of
Chinese painting, forming a style that seamlessly combined the techniques of Western
realism with the aesthetics of Oriental appreciation. During the reign of the Ch'ien-lung
Emperor, these ultra-refined and opulently colored works merging Chinese and Western
art became some of the most brilliant and fascinating images to symbolize the
prosperity and cultural vision of the Ch'ing court.
This prominent Jesuit artist, architect, and missionary died in Beijing in 1766.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Castiglione_(Jesuit)
www.chinaonlinemuseum.com/painting-lang-shining.php
www.npm.gov.tw/exh96/newvision/introduction_en.html
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A Hundred Steeds
Lang Shih-ning (Giuseppe Castiglione, 1688-1766), Ch'ing dynasty
Handscroll, ink and colors on silk, 94.5 x 776.2 cm
This is an early painting by Giuseppe Castiglione, one of the most famous Europeans in
the service of the Ch'ing dynasty court. This handscroll more than seven meters long
depicts a scene of taking a herd of horses out to pasture in autumn. The hundred steeds
are shown in a variety of poses and activities as they leisurely make their way around
the pastures and trees. Castiglione, using refined gradations of light and shadow, has
rendered an exceptionally realistic scene. Although the painting compositionally
represents a continuation of traditional arrangements of herding horses in Chinese art,
the placement and depiction of the trees and landscape elements clearly reveal the deep
atmospheric effect often found in Western art. Even the sizes of the horses vary with
the distance and are shown in relative proportion. Likewise, the painting method for the
distant mountain rocks is distinct from that seen in traditional Chinese brushwork, with
layered pigments also seen among the trees.
www.npm.gov.tw/exh96/newvision/selection_en.html
Lang Shih-ning (Giuseppe Castiglione, 1688-1766), Ch'ing dynasty
Handscroll, ink and colors on silk, 94.5 x 776.2 cm
This is an early painting by Giuseppe Castiglione, one of the most famous Europeans in
the service of the Ch'ing dynasty court. This handscroll more than seven meters long
depicts a scene of taking a herd of horses out to pasture in autumn. The hundred steeds
are shown in a variety of poses and activities as they leisurely make their way around
the pastures and trees. Castiglione, using refined gradations of light and shadow, has
rendered an exceptionally realistic scene. Although the painting compositionally
represents a continuation of traditional arrangements of herding horses in Chinese art,
the placement and depiction of the trees and landscape elements clearly reveal the deep
atmospheric effect often found in Western art. Even the sizes of the horses vary with
the distance and are shown in relative proportion. Likewise, the painting method for the
distant mountain rocks is distinct from that seen in traditional Chinese brushwork, with
layered pigments also seen among the trees.
www.npm.gov.tw/exh96/newvision/selection_en.html
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Macang Lays Low the Enemy Ranks
Lang Shih-ning (Giuseppe Castiglione, 1688-1766), Ch'ing dynasty
Handscroll, ink and colors on paper, 38.4 x 285.9 cm
Macang was a warrior in the Ch'ing troops honored for his effort in pacifying the
Western border regions. Accompanying Vice General Fu Te in a punitive expedition
against the Dzungar tribes, he managed to penetrate deep into enemy troops, leaving his
horse behind and eventually being wounded in battle. For his efforts, he was promoted
to the rank of Guard Commander-general. At the end of this handscroll is a eulogy from
the brush of the Ch'ien-lung Emperor (r. 1736-1795) praising Macang's deeds, ordering
that they be rendered in painting to honor him. In the painting, Macang is shown
reaching back for an arrow to finish off the wounded enemy he is chasing. Along with
the spear on the ground, the combined number of weapons accurately reflects the
record of him downing the enemy in three strikes. According to the imperial inscription
by the Ch'ien-lung Emperor, this painting was done in 1759.
www.npm.gov.tw/exh96/newvision/selection_en.html
Lang Shih-ning (Giuseppe Castiglione, 1688-1766), Ch'ing dynasty
Handscroll, ink and colors on paper, 38.4 x 285.9 cm
Macang was a warrior in the Ch'ing troops honored for his effort in pacifying the
Western border regions. Accompanying Vice General Fu Te in a punitive expedition
against the Dzungar tribes, he managed to penetrate deep into enemy troops, leaving his
horse behind and eventually being wounded in battle. For his efforts, he was promoted
to the rank of Guard Commander-general. At the end of this handscroll is a eulogy from
the brush of the Ch'ien-lung Emperor (r. 1736-1795) praising Macang's deeds, ordering
that they be rendered in painting to honor him. In the painting, Macang is shown
reaching back for an arrow to finish off the wounded enemy he is chasing. Along with
the spear on the ground, the combined number of weapons accurately reflects the
record of him downing the enemy in three strikes. According to the imperial inscription
by the Ch'ien-lung Emperor, this painting was done in 1759.
www.npm.gov.tw/exh96/newvision/selection_en.html
Paired Cranes in the Shade with Flowers
Lang Shih-ning (Giuseppe Castiglione, 1688-1766),
Ch'ing dynasty
Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, 170.7 x 93.1 cm
On a gentle slope where rose bushes bloom are two pairs of
red-crested cranes, one adult and the other chicks. An adult
stands on one leg and careens its neck to preen its feathers
while the other looks back and down at the two chicks who
have yet to molt, as if responding to and taking care of them.
The rendering of the cranes' feathers is very realistic and true
to life, not just in the details but also the glossy luster. This
treatment of sheen further characterizes the plants shown
here, too, with the rose and iris blossoms rendered with equal
attention to detail. The theme of crane chicks was not
Lang Shih-ning (Giuseppe Castiglione, 1688-1766),
Ch'ing dynasty
Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, 170.7 x 93.1 cm
On a gentle slope where rose bushes bloom are two pairs of
red-crested cranes, one adult and the other chicks. An adult
stands on one leg and careens its neck to preen its feathers
while the other looks back and down at the two chicks who
have yet to molt, as if responding to and taking care of them.
The rendering of the cranes' feathers is very realistic and true
to life, not just in the details but also the glossy luster. This
treatment of sheen further characterizes the plants shown
here, too, with the rose and iris blossoms rendered with equal
attention to detail. The theme of crane chicks was not
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previously common in Chinese painting, but the Ch'ien-lung Emperor once wrote a
verse on the subject: "Not until crane chicks come out of their shells, can they thus
reach to the skies." Perhaps the upright position of the chicks in this painting was
meant to echo the emperor's sentiments.
www.npm.gov.tw/exh96/newvision/selection_en.html
verse on the subject: "Not until crane chicks come out of their shells, can they thus
reach to the skies." Perhaps the upright position of the chicks in this painting was
meant to echo the emperor's sentiments.
www.npm.gov.tw/exh96/newvision/selection_en.html
| ********** |
| Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766) does not exist for Chinese, but Lang Shining lives forever. Lang is the Chinese name of the Italian man who spent most of his life in China and died there, too. He came to China as a missionary but died known as a painter. Three Qing Dynasty emperors liked his art. His paintings sell for millions of dollars today. |
| I love his painting, Ayuxi on Horseback. The painting itself is an evidence of mastery of a foreign culture. I love the strong horse with tender eyes and the man, Ayuxi, who is ready, resolute, yet relaxed. I bought the poster in the National Palace Museum of Taiwan. If you only have time to see one thing in Taiwan, this museum is it. http://likecoffeeliketea.wordpress.com/..... |
| Method. 1. The search: Google image searches "Chinese warrior horseback bow and arrow" Search with "Korean" found a similar image, described as Manchu Search with "Manchu" found this picture - 20 rows deep 2. The find: Book "China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia by Peter C. Perdue" www.goodreads.com/book/show/144867.China_Marches_West Image is in the first "community review" of the book. Jul 13, 2013 Hadrian rated it 4 of 5 stars Shelves: chinese, asian, economics-finance-business, history, nonfiction, central-asia, society-and-culture, war Description of the painting: The Zhungar warrior Ayuxi, Giuseppe Castiglione. National Palace Museum, Taiwan. pg. 277. You have conquered the empire on horseback; but can you rule it on horseback? -Lu Jia, to the Gaozu Emperor "Liu Bang", r. 202-195 BCE 3. More about the picture: -Googled name of the picture "The Zhungar warrior Ayuxi, Giuseppe Castiglione. National Palace Museum, Taiwan" -Searched on the website for National Palace Museum www.npm.gov.tw/en/Article.aspx?sNo=04005319 - Results For "Zhungar warrior Ayuxi" - found under artist's last name, very prolific. Must scroll to second page www.npm.gov.tw/exh94/firstfamily/selections_EN_02.html Tom Collins |