Ferdinand Augustin Hallerstein on Giuseppe Castiglione’s Art
- Format:
- Journal Article
- Year:
- 2015
- Journal Title:
- Asian Studies
- Volume:
- 3
- Issue:
- 2
- Language:
- Abstract:
Ferdinand Augustin Hallerstein (1703–1774) (Chinese name Liu Songling) was a Slovenian Jesuit, astronomer and mathematician who made an important contribution to the development of science and astronomy in 18th century China. He arrived in Beijing in 1739, and in 1746 was appointed to succeed Ignatius Kögler as Head of the Imperial Board of Astronomy, a position he would hold until his own death nearly 30 years later. Throughout his four decades in China, Hallerstein maintained a rich correspondence with family members, other Jesuits in Europe, and even with the Queen of Portugal, Maria Anna. He was also a corresponding member of the Royal Societies of London, Paris and St. Petersburg. His letters have only recently been collected and edited.
The present paper will focus on Hallerstein’s letters and what they tell us about the life and art of the celebrated Jesuit painter, Giuseppe Castiglione (1688–1766), especially during the reign of the Emperor Qianlong (1711–1799). After a brief introduction on Hallerstein’s life and work, by means of comparative analyses and using an interdisciplinary approach, the paper will explore a) Hallerstein’s views on Castiglione and his art, and b) Chinese court painting and Castiglione’s position at the court. It will conclude with new evidence concerning Castiglione’s artistic achievements.
Ferdinand Avguštin Hallerstein (1703–1774) s kitajskim imenom Liu Songling je bil slovenski jezuit, astronom in matematik, ki je pomembno prispeval k razvoju znanosti in astronomije na Kitajskem v 18. stoletju. V Peking je prispel leta 1739 ter je kmalu po tem leta 1746 nasledil Ignacija Köglerja na mestu direktorja Astronomskega urada. Ta položaj je ohranil vse do smrti skoraj 30 let kasneje. V svojem štiridesetletnem bivanju na Kitajskem je vzdrževal bogato korespondenco z družinskimi člani, ostalimi jezuiti v Evropi in celo s portugalsko kraljico Mario Anno. Poleg tega je bil tudi korespondenčni član Kraljevske družbe v Londonu, Parizu in St. Peterburgu. Njegova pisma so bila zbrana in urejene šele v zadnjih letih.
Pričujoči prispevek se osredotoča na Hallersteinova pisma ter njegove omembe o življenju in delu znanega jezuitskega slikarja Giuseppa Castigliona (1688–1766), ki si je svojo slavo pridobil še posebej v času cesarja Qianlonga (1711–1799). Po kratki pred-stavitvi Hallersteinovega življenja in dela se prispevek z uporabo interdisciplinarnega pristopa ukvarja a) s Hallersteinovimi pogledi na Castigliona in njegovo umetnost ter b) s kitajskim dvornim slikarstvom in Castiglionovim položajem na dvoru. Prispevek v zaključnem delu nadalje poda nove dokaze, ki zadevajo umetniške dosežke slikarja Castigliona.
- Who (Jesuits):
- What (Subjects):
- Where (Locations):
- Publisher URL:
- Page Range:
- 33–56
- ISSN:
- 2232-51312350-4226
- DOI: