Lang shining biography of abraham
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He came to serve as painter at the court for 51 years, spanning the three emperors of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong periods, before he died in 1766. Castiglione's sharply defined horses inevitably recall those of Li Gonglin, the most revered Chinese master of this genre and the artist responsible for developing a distinctive baimiao, or monochrome drawing style.
When, in late 1735, it was presented to the newly enthroned Qianlong Emperor, he declared it a masterpiece and named Castiglione his principal court painter.
Because painting on silk does not allow for correction or overpainting, Castiglione worked out every detail in a preparatory drawing on paper before he traced the design onto silk.
In that year, he was commissioned to paint One Hundred Horses (final painting, below; detail of preparatory drawing, above). His work is characterized by the integration of Western perspective and chiaroscuro with traditional Chinese brushwork and themes. Qianlong showed particularly interest in paintings of tribute horses presented to the Emperor on which Castiglione painted a series, such as the Four Afghan Steeds.
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Italian Jesuit missionary Giuseppe Castiglione, also known under his Chinese name Lang Shining
Italian Jesuit missionary Giuseppe Castiglione, also known under his Chinese name Lang Shining, was born in 1688 in Milan. It also encouraged the participation of assistants. The full-scale drawing is executed in the Western manner, with figures sketched in charcoal and then precisely rendered in bold ink outlines drawn with a European pen rather than a Chinese brush.
Seal paste boxes made by Wang Dafan and He Xuran bearing Lang Shining's marks are very similar to Lang Shining's work, in particular the leiwen motif around the mouth-rim and the ruyi motif around the foot. Compared with Li's lively calligraphic lines, however, Castiglione's drawing appears stiff and labored. Although a Jesuit, he was never ordained as a priest, instead joining as a lay brother.
In the late 17th century, a number of European Jesuit painters served in the Qing court of the Kangxi Emperor who was interested in employing European Jesuits trained in various fields, including painting.
He is renowned for his unique fusion of European and Chinese artistic techniques, contributing significantly to the development of the Qing court's distinctive style.
Western scholars have suggested that the later Lang Shining-style porcelain belongs to the 1925-29 period (van Oort, H. A., 1977) while the Asian scholar Simon Kwan (1990) however, suggests they were even later, between 1930-35.
Giuseppe Castiglione (郞世宁 - Lang Shining)
Giuseppe Castiglione, S.J. (simplified Chinese: 郞世宁; traditional Chinese: 郞世寧; pinyin: Láng Shìníng; 19 July 1688 – 17 July 1766), was an Italian Jesuit brother and missionary in China, where he served as an artist at the imperial court of three Qing emperors – the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors.
Castiglione served at the Qing court for fifty years, working under the Chinese name Lang Shining. During the early 20th century there were also many examples of art porcelain bearing marks purporting to be Lang Shining's but not actually based on Lang Shining's compositions but just done in "his" style. He was permitted to leave the enamel workshop by Yongzheng as it was affecting his eyesight.
He was educated at home with a private tutor, then a common practice among wealthy families. Castiglione adapted his European painting style to Chinese themes and taste. For such projects, an artist would submit the draft version for imperial approval before beginning the final version, which in addition to being executed on a more precious material, employed expensive mineral colors and was much more detailed.
The monumental pine trees, which serve to divide the composition into discrete sections, each with its own vanishing point, are another motif borrowed from Chinese sources, but in their complex branch structure, sophisticated foreshortening, and attention to surface textures they are distinctly European in feeling.