In June 2018, the Continental Museum held a grand exhibition with the aim of displaying more than 200 pieces (sets) of cultural relics from 21 museums in Italy and 17 museums in the mainland.
Two paintings in the exhibition attract attention:
St. Mary, Protector of the Roman People
Tang Bohu "Sending the Child to Guanyin"
Hereinafter referred to as: "Our Lady" and "Guanyin".
Detail comparison
From the picture, we can see that in the "Guanyin Diagram", Guanyin is holding a child, the child is holding a book in one hand, and the other hand is like a scissors. Guanyin's head cloth, the folds of her clothes, the posture of holding her child, and the silk handkerchief in her hand are almost exactly the same as those of the Madonna.
However, there are some differences between the two paintings in terms of painting style and technique. "Guanyin" uses the traditional Chinese technique of painting a full-length portrait with gongbi, while "Madonna" uses the Western technique of oil painting with a bust. The Madonna and the child in the Madonna are both Western figures, and they are dressed in Western-style costumes. Tang Bohu's "Guanyin" is brightly colored, while "Our Lady" presents a deep tone.
According to relevant information, in 1910, during his investigation in China by the German-American scholar Thorde Laufer, he found a "Guanyin Tu" signed by Tang Yin in a mansion in Xi'an, which was actually a "plagiarism": because Tang Yin's painting was intended to reflect the traditional Chinese style, that is, the "Madonna" was changed to Guanyin, and the bust was changed to a full-length portrait.
The curator of the exhibition, Li Jun, a professor of fine arts, briefly introduced the two paintings and displayed them side by side in the section "Our Lady and Guanyin". However, he did not conduct an in-depth analysis, but only gave a preliminary judgment: Tang Bohu created the "Guanyin Map" on the basis of plagiarizing the "Picture of the Virgin".
However, this point of view has sparked controversy among viewers and readers. Some people think that the "Picture of the Virgin" plagiarized the "Picture of Guanyin"!
After the exhibition, the two drawings quickly attracted interest. There are different voices on whether Tang Bohu's "Guanyin Tu" plagiarized the "Madonna". This needs to be further studied and discussed to determine the relationship between the two paintings.
This kind of portrait is collectively referred to as the "hugzi picture", which is not only a unique feature of the West, but also an expression of traditional Chinese art, such as the painting, sculpture and other art forms of "Guanyin".
In addition, the "Picture of the Virgin" was created around the 17th century, and Tang Bohu died in 1523, that is, in the early 16th century.
Thus, we can now make the following three judgments about these two paintings:
The first type: Tang Bohu's "Guanyin Map" is a plagiarized "Guanyin Map".
When the museum staff introduced Tang Bohu's "Guanyin Tu", they said this: the painting has the signature of "Tang Yin" in the lower left corner, which was later identified as a kind of plagiarism of the "Madonna", and the Western form factor of the whole picture has been tampered with into the Chinese style of the East, and Guanyin is in a standing posture, wearing a long scarf on his head, holding a handkerchief in his left hand, and his eyes are clear. There are great similarities between the two works in terms of composition and human gestures.
There are many "Madonna and Child Statues" in ancient Europe, especially in Italy, which are similar in shape, and the theme is to depict the "Madonna" holding a child, and the child makes a gesture of prayer.
The second type: the Italian "Madonna" is a plagiarized "Guanyin Tu".
Regarding the image of "sending the son Guanyin", almost everyone in ancient China is familiar with it. This has to do with the emphasis on family and filial piety in Chinese culture. Because in ancient times, for a family, a full house of children and grandchildren was an important symbol of the continuation of the clan bloodline.
However, in order to achieve the "prosperity of a family", it is not just an idea to achieve the goal. In the real life of ancient Chinese, such problems were common. A family may be materially wealthy, but it is not prosperous. Therefore, people place their hopes on imaginary beings, such as sending the child Guanyin, so that their wishes can be fulfilled.
The legendary figure of "Kannon" can be traced back to around the 4th century AD. The image of this mythical woman holding a child symbolizes the "child" brought to the human family, and represents the prayer of the ancients for a good birth. This image has existed as early as ancient Chinese culture and has nothing to do with the European "Madonna".
In terms of compositional form, Tang Yin's Guanyin shows local elements of China. The figures in this work are full-length paintings, which are more three-dimensional than the "Madonna". But there are some places that have caused controversy, such as the headscarf of "Guanyin", the "handkerchief" she holds in her hand, and the scissor-like gestures made by children. These details are very similar to those of the Madonna, which raises several questions: are the headscarf of Guanyin, the handkerchief on the thumb of Guanyin, and the gesture of a child an inherent element of ancient Chinese culture?
Let's start with the hijab. Since the fictional image of "Guanyin" originated in India, Nepal and other places, after being accepted by ancient Chinese culture, on the one hand, it retains the characteristics of the place of origin, and at the same time has the characteristics of China's local culture, which is a fusion of the two. Some people think that in Tang Yin's "Guanyin Tu", Guanyin's headscarf was not common in ancient China, but in fact, there are quite a few Guanyin statues like this, such as:
Therefore, the image of Guanyin in Tang Yin's "Guanyin Tu" can also find a vein of inheritance in local Chinese culture. Let's talk about the "handkerchief" that "Guanyin" is holding in his hand.
"Suo" is actually a professional term, and it is recorded in ancient books: "If the left and right sides are not empty...... Holding a rope in one hand. "It's a hunting tool, the equivalent of a rope. Since then, it has gradually evolved into a symbol of good luck.
Regarding the gesture of a child holding out two fingers, in fact, in ancient Chinese culture, the image of "Guanyin of the Child" holding a child is very common, but the gesture of a child holding out two fingers is not common. Some explain that this gesture is a symbol of good luck, similar to the representation of mantras. There is some truth to this explanation. However, in Western portraits of the "Virgin and Child", it is very common for children to make this gesture, symbolizing blessings and good wishes.
Through the analysis of the above three points, we can see that the work of "Guanyin" can also find the roots and inheritance of ancient Chinese culture in terms of details.
In addition, as to the time of creation of the work, the portrait of the Virgin was created around the end of the 16th century or the beginning of the 17th century, while the years of birth and death of Tang Bohu are from 1470 to 1523 AD. Therefore, the time of Tang Bohu's death conflicts with the time when the painting was created, and it is difficult to understand how he copied the painting.
The third type: no one copied each other, it was just a coincidence in the art of Eastern and Western painting.
It is true that Eastern and Western cultures do influence each other in the process of exchange, that's for sure. However, even without communication, it is possible to produce the same values or art forms. Even if two cultures do not communicate, because our perceptions of the external world and emotions are similar, the same values or art forms will emerge. Therefore, it should not be surprising if similar expressions appear in Eastern and Western cultures.
But what is certain is that there were paintings of "Madonna and Child" in ancient Western times, and similar images in ancient China, such as "Guanyin Sending Son". In this regard, it is impossible to prove that the Chinese "Goddess of Mercy" was influenced by the Western "Virgin". The emergence of these similar images may be due to the fact that human beings have developed their own forms of expression based on their cognition of the objective world and emotions.
However, when it comes to Tang Yin's "Guanyin Tu", can we explain it with the view that "no one copied anyone"?
In my opinion, this explanation does not make sense, because the two paintings are too similar, so we have a basic judgment: There is a connection between the two paintings! That is to say: either Tang Yin copied the "Picture of the Virgin," or the "Picture of the Virgin" copied Tang Yin's "Picture of Guanyin"! So, who copied whom? Can we come up with a widely accepted answer?
Through the above analysis, I have come to a basic judgment: Tang Yin is very likely to have copied the "statue of the Virgin"! This shows that Professor Li Jun is right.
The reason is that before Tang Yin, this form of "Madonna" had been widely popular in European countries, and the costumes, turbans, arms of children, gestures of children, and books or scrolls held by "Madonna" were very similar.
In contrast, Tang Yin's Guanyin Tu, although the characters and costumes are more Chinese, and even some details, such as the headscarf, the rope in Guanyin's hand, the gestures of children, and the books held, can be found in ancient Chinese culture, but this form of "Guanyin" is not common. In ancient Europe, especially in Italy, this kind of "Madonna" was very common.
On the question of "who copied whom", a friend put forward the following opinion: During the Ming Dynasty, Matteo Ricci came to China around 1582, and he brought books on academic and literary studies from Europe, especially Italy. We know that Geometry Primitives was translated from the books that Matteo Ricci had brought. He also brought a "map of the world".
Ricci
Among them, Matteo Ricci also brought a Western "Statue of the Virgin", which was later included in a book called "Cheng's Ink Garden". This is a clear record of the introduction of the "Statue of the Virgin" to China. I think this view is untenable to explain that Tang Bohu's "Guanyin Tu" was not influenced by the Western "Statue of the Virgin" based on the time when this "Madonna Statue" was introduced (when Tang Bohu had already died).
Don't forget that the interaction between Chinese civilization and European civilization did not begin with Matteo Ricci's visit to China, there was Marco Polo long before him, and if we go back further, this kind of exchange began in the Tang and Han dynasties. Much has been said about this, so I won't talk about it anymore. This also means that even if Tang Bohu did not see the "Madonna" brought by Matteo Ricci, it is possible that he was influenced by other similar paintings that were introduced to China.
"Can we question the authenticity of the signature 'Tang Yin' of Guanyin? Perhaps this painting is not an authentic work of Tang Yin, but was created in his name by other painters of the Ming or Qing dynasties. If it was created by people in the Ming and Qing dynasties pretending to be Tang Yin, then we can more easily understand the reason for this similarity:
First of all, this kind of painting is rarely seen in Tang Yin's works.
Secondly, there is also a rationality in timing. The Madonna was created around the 16th or 17th century, and Tang Yin had died before that, but those who came after him may have been influenced by the "Madonna", and it was not difficult to copy and impersonate Tang Yin's name to create the "Guanyin Tu".
The original of the real Guanyin Tu is preserved in foreign museums, and we cannot be sure whether it is the original work of Tang Yin. It is hoped that in the future, there will be experts interested in this painting to conduct an in-depth study of this painting, so as to convey more accurate information.
Epilogue:
All in all, Eastern and Western cultures have always influenced and accepted each other. The civilization of the East influenced the West, and in the same way Western civilization influenced the East. According to archaeological data, as early as the 5th century B.C., the writings of the Greeks contain records about the silk country 'Seris'. Chinese goods such as silk and porcelain were transported to the West through the land and maritime Silk Roads, and Western goods and culture were also transported to the East. It was through the Silk Roads that silk became popular in places like Rome and Greece, and the Romans regarded oriental silk as a treasure of 'splendor and craftsmanship' and took pride in wearing this fine garment.
In addition, the exchange of Eastern and Western cultures reached new heights during the Renaissance. At that time, commercial exchanges between the East and the West were very frequent, and official exchanges were relatively frequent. Marco Polo was a well-known European who showed the Europeans the customs of China through a comprehensive and rich description. As Europeans learned more about China, Chinese culture, art, architecture, and gardens were introduced to Europe. Some European countries copied the Chinese garden style and built pavilions and pagodas, which promoted the Renaissance in Europe. At the same time, porcelain and silk were also widely used by the European aristocracy. After Matteo Ricci came to China, he brought with him many Western academic works and scientific and technological achievements, which promoted the cultural exchanges between the East and the West.
These facts prove that in the history of cultural exchanges between the East and the West, the influence of culture is mutual and integrated. There is no doubt about that. The similarities between Tang Yin's Guanyin and Italy's Madonna are a strong proof of this phenomenon.