Unifying Spirit between East and West: Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766), Italian Renaissance painter in the Forbidden City
By Mathew Ehret
Instead of looking only at what separates the various cultures of the world as distinct from their neighbors, the time has come to commit ourselves to a true universal renaissance, whereby each culture finds what is most beautiful, good and truthful in themselves and also in their neighbors. The best discoveries of each culture when cross pollinated in this way will create new and incredible wholes that will always be more than the sum of their parts, and contain greater degrees of potential for creative expression and understanding than each could sustain on their own.
A Renaissance Mind in the Forbidden City
For those who are not familiar with the figure of Giuseppe Castiglione (aka: Lang Shi Ning 1688-1766), it is extremely rewarding to explore his works and incredible life as the court painter of three emperors during the Qing Dynasty (Kangxi, Yongzhen and Qianlong) from 1715 to his death in Beijing in 1766.
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