A Long Journey Back Home
On Aug. 20, 1715, an Italian missionary by the name of Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766) set foot into the foreign land of China, where he stayed until his death. He was a court painter who gained the admiration of Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. In China, he is best known by his Chinese name Lang Shining (郎世寧).
The year 2015 will mark the 300th anniversary since Giuseppe Castiglione's arrival in China as well as the 90th anniversary of the National Palace Museum (NPM). To celebrate this grand occasion, the NPM hosts the Giuseppe Castiglione – Lang Shining New Media Art Exhibition beginning Oct. 8, 2015, in which digital media are used to showcase how the Italian missionary harmoniously combined Western oil painting techniques with Chinese traditional painting techniques to create awe-inspiring artwork for the world.
This special exhibition was curated by the NPM, the Opera di Santa Croce of Florence (Italy), the City University of Hong Kong, the Institute for Information Industry, and the Digital Art Center, Taipei. The exhibition guidebook is provided in Chinese, Italian, and English as a tribute to the legendary Italian master Giuseppe Castiglione. The exhibition guidebook features a description of the four major theme areas of the exhibition; for the exhibition, it uses various media such as 2D media, digital media, animations, and documentaries to demonstrate the superb skills of Giuseppe Castiglione in drawing portraits, flowers, birds, beasts, and wars. Visitors are sure to enjoy this fascinating exhibition experience.
In addition, the exhibition guidebook contains three monographs written by Dr. Francesco Vossilla (the Gonzaga University in Florence), Associate Research Fellow Cheng Wing-Cheong (NPM), and Research Assistant Zheng Yu-Zhen to allow visitors to gain an in-depth understanding of the master who had offered his service in China for many years. Starting Oct. 31, 2015, the Opera di Santa Croce of Florence also hosts the Giuseppe Castiglione – Lang Shining New Media Art Exhibition to celebrate the master's long journey back home after a period spanning 300 years.