When the Jesuit missionaries ventured from Europe to newly
discovered territories in Asia and Latin America, they brought with
them the rich traditions of Renaissance and Baroque art and
architecture. What happened to the artistic and social practices
already thriving in the communities that the missionaries
encountered is the story told by art historian and Jesuit
specialist Gauvin Alexander Bailey.
The Jesuits, determined to convert both spiritually and
culturally, put great effort into imparting their own artistic
techniques and knowledge. At the same time they were unusually
tolerant of the non-European cultures, making artistic
accommodations in order to communicate with each particular
society. The resulting hybridization was complex: German, Italian,
and Flemish as well as the dominant Spanish and Portuguese idioms
mingled with multiple Asian and Amerindian traditions.
Bailey argues that this cross-pollination of early modern art
became the first truly global visual currency for cultural
exchange. Through a sweeping look at Japan, China, Mughul India,
and Paraguay, the author focuses on four of the most flourishing
artistic encounters and discovers much unrecognized or
misunderstood art. He overturns the simple thesis that art was
imposed on subject cultures in favour of the more difficult
paradigm of exchange. This meticulously researched book has over
100 beautiful illustrations and a thorough index.
Winner of the 2000 Roland H. Bainton Prize Winner for Art and
Music History - Sixteenth Century Studies Conference
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!