Art, Science, and Diplomacy: A Study of the Visual Images of the Macartney Embassy to China, 1793

Description

This book examines how the Embassy members approached, selected, and represented information, and how, in doing so, they helped to shape European perceptions of China. The Macartney Embassy of 1793 was the first British diplomatic mission to China, seeking to open ties between the two empires. As part of the mission, the British government commissioned writers and artists to chronicle the geography and culture of a civilization that had, until then, been shrouded in mystery. A central focus of the book is the artwork itself, which provides a window into the diplomatic, artistic and scientific viewpoints underlying the mission. Drawing on archival research, the study recreates the processes through which the Embassy’s draughtsmen, scientists, and diplomats collaborated to represent the visual images, and how the materials were reworked for publication in London. The finished product demonstrates that the artists offered a distinct viewpoint in the representation of China, sometimes differing from the textual accounts, by blending scientific elements and artistic aesthetics in order to demystify China and make it more knowable to a British audience. It was in the interposition of text and image that the British public formulated an ambivalent perception of China that embraced both admiration and disdain.  In addition to the scholars, the book targets general readers who are interested in global art and history, and East–West interactions. It contains important images with detailed visual and historical analysis that enable readers to acquire knowledge on how the British represented China and how that image helped to shape the European perception of China during the British global expansion in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and beyond. Preface Acknowledgements Contents List of Figures 1 Introduction to the Macartney Embassy to China 1.1 Historical Background 1.1.1 Trading History and the Canton System 1.1.2 The Preparation, Formation, Progress, and Aftermath of the Embassy 1.1.3 Scholars’ Opinions on the Embassy 1.2 China’s Reputation in Text and Image 1.3 The Artistic and Scientific Contexts of the Embassy 1.4 Verbal and Visual Sources of the Embassy References 2 Gift Exchange and the Diplomacy 2.1 British and Chinese Concepts of Gift Exchange 2.2 British and Chinese Gifts of Art and Science 2.3 Collecting and Exhibiting the Gifts References 3 The Diplomacy Underlying the Historical Encounter 3.1 British Images of the Reception 3.2 The Qianlong Silk Tapestry References 4 Mapping and Exploring on the Travel Route 4.1 Navigation and Coastline Drawings 4.2 Geography and Cartography 4.3 Representing Global Natural History References 5 Artistic Representation of Chinese Landscapes 5.1 Chinese Cityscapes and the Topographic Aesthetic 5.2 Landscapes and Imperial Parks in the Picturesque Aesthetic 5.3 The Sublime and Chinese Ruins 5.4 Riverscapes Along the Grand Canal References 6 Picturing Chinese People 6.1 Ethnography in Global Visual Culture 6.2 Qianlong Emperor and the Imperial Court 6.3 Chinese People in Various Occupations 6.4 Chinese Women and Family Life 6.5 Representing Chinese Religion and Ritual 6.6 Chinese Punishment References 7 Visualizing and Evaluating Chinese Science and Technology 7.1 Scientific Background of the Embassy 7.2 Chinese Shipping 7.3 Land Transportation 7.4 Scientific Apparatuses: Chinese Mathematics, Metallurgy, and Navigation 7.5 Agricultural Science 7.6 Military Science 7.7 Scientific Aspects of Chinese Arts References 8 The Legacy of the Macartney Embassy 8.1 The Publications of the Embassy 8.1.1 George Staunton’s Account and John Barrow’s “Travels in China” 8.1.2 William Alexander’s Two Books of Prints 8.1.3 The Influence of the Embassy’s Publications 8.2 Revived Chinoiserie: The Royal Pavilion at Brighton 8.3 Proto-Orientalism: Thomas Allom’s “China Illustrated” References Conclusion