Chinoiserie

Chinoiserie was based on Chinese models direction of European art that was popular in the 18th century and should refer to the seemingly perfect world of the Chinese. The China - fed enthusiasm both from interest in the exoticism and from the idea of a peaceful giant empire, whose numerous population was formed literary and philosophical up in single layers.

Jesuit

Knowledge of China came to Marco Polo's Travels on merchants and envoys, since the mid 17th century, especially about Jesuit missionaries to Europe. You concretized the image of China and China accounted for Leibniz into one kingdom, " like a Europe of the East the opposite end of the earth as it graces " ( " Novissima Sinica "). The mediation by the Jesuits was not altruistic. China should be displayed so that a mission seemed promising and therefore worthy of support. The Chinese empire was therefore presented in its ideal form: highly cultured and highly civilized.

France

The French Physiocrats François Quesnay in 1767 impressed the alleged harmony between agrarian production and state power in China so much so that he the despotisme de la Chine as a model society for Europe wished. That was the award of public office for a test system in China, exercised a great fascination for the educated classes of Europe who wanted to prevail against feudal Erbstrukturen. Only in the second half of the 18th century began a counter-movement that drew the unconditional devotion in China doubts, even mocked. But until the 19th century was the Confucian polity as exemplary.

Voltaire wrote in 1756 about China. For him, China was governed by enlightened scholar officials Utopia. It was the four-volume Encyclopedia of China " Description de la Chine " of Father Jean -Baptiste was you stockpile from 1735 that inspired Voltaire to raves and a century must-read for every conversation about China. In this encyclopedia you stockpile described a thriving empire whose internal trade exchange is more developed than the within Europe.

England

In the 18th century were from China and Japan imported porcelain, silk and furniture very fashionable. Influenced by these objects from Asia, designed British artists and craftsmen own, often extravagant, furnishings and interiors for the British upper class. For the British, the 18th century, these objects and interiors were exotic and exciting. China was a mysterious and distant place and chinoiserie stilled the hunger for the exotic and alien.

Popular motifs were adventurous landscape with high mountains, waterways, houses and people in the Asian style. The dragon was another very popular motif. In the mysterious figure of the dragon all desires for the exotic country seemed to merge. These motifs were often taken over by the import goods but more often implemented by the designers according to their own ideas.

The Chinoiserie was often combined with elements of the Rococo and the Medieval Revival.

In Britain, they met especially in bedrooms and dressing rooms to the Chinoiserie as the theme for the entire room design. Smaller objects were found but also in the other state rooms. Popular chinoiserie was also in the design of garden pavilion and smaller buildings.

People and places to the British Chinoiserie

William Chambers - spent a long time as a merchant in China - had written (Designs of Chinese buildings ) in 1757, after his return to England, a book on East Asian architecture. In 1763 a work on the scale of him in Kew Park with engravings of the local oriental buildings: Pagoda, Mosque, Alhambra, and in 1772 a book on Chinese gardens, in which he encouraged the construction of Chinese car parks. This Chambers triggered a Europe-wide " Chinoiserie " mode within the Rococo. This was marked by a dream world made ​​of porcelain, lacquerware, silk and paper wallpaper. His work was also used in the design of the Chinese Pavilion at the Castle of Pillnitz in Dresden. The illustrations of his book adorn the interior of this pavilion.

Jean -Baptiste Pillement - who was one of the most influential designers of Chinoiserie in Britain and the originals of his book, A New Book of Chinese Ornaments (1755 ) drew a native of France of 1750 to London found their way into countless porcelain figures, pavilions and fabrics.

Germany

Also at German courts found the China fashion soon spread. Completely in the style of Chinoiserie about the Pillnitz Castle in Dresden was built. Elsewhere, smaller park castles and pavilions have been designed; Examples include the Dragon House and the Chinese House in Sanssouci Park, the pagoda and the tea house in the Chinese Garden of Oranienbaum near Dessau, or built after the model of Kew Gardens Chinese Tower in the English Garden in Munich. Furthermore, were often interiors in the " Chinese " style equipped, such as on the Saxon Weesenstein, at the Munich Residence or in the Pagodenburg in Nymphenburg Park. 1781 erected the "Chinese village" Mou - long in the mountain park William height in Kassel. Even Chinese gardens were often imitated.

Gallery

Chinese House (Potsdam)

Paintings in Schloss Pillnitz

Chinese house in the Old Steiner Park

Pagoda in the mountain park William height