 | The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, US, is presenting one of the few exhibition of Chinese art, dedicated to the depiction of the theme of journeys, both real and imaginnary, between the 12th and the 19th century. This was one of the most important subjects in Chinese painting for centuries, alternating real voyages, for which the artists created surprisingly realistic images, and imaginary treks. The real journeys have several representantions, from intimate and dramatical scenes of departure and separation to the complicated and rich panoramas of royal tours, many of these being imperial commisions. Also, the artists have seldom produced sockingly detailed maps, such as those of the Yangzi River and the Grand Canal, also present in the exhibition. |
But real journeys seemed to be a dry and conventional subject, and over the centuries most of the famous Chinese artists have been drawn to the realm of fantastic journeys of the mind. The voyager chose to transcend his bariers and leave for utopian places, with vivid and heavenly nature, strange animals, deities and gods, a refuge from an often harsh reality. In the 19th century, besides the artists that continued the tradition, others wanted to adapt the theme to new techniques and styles, transforming with great success the traditional art forms.
Photo : metmuseum.org
2007-07-17
