Posted on 06/07/2005 12:23:29 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Picasso's paintings have captured the imagination of art lovers the world over but they remain a mystery to many in China, as visitors at an exhibition of his lesser-known works here attest.
Beijing has a lively art scene and its residents pride themselves as the most culturally informed in the country.
But visitors said even they were mystified by the Spanish master's lesser-known collection -- mostly etchings and engravings that are illustrations in books of European classics.
"I don't really understand his works, they are relatively abstract. I think this is because I know too little about his culture and background," said 19-year-old Gong Simiao, an engineering student.
The fame of Picasso has attracted some 100,000 visitors to the exhibition in Beijing but many admitted they know little about his artistic background and that has prevented them from understanding his work.
"He lived in a different era and culture and I have no knowledge of these stories so it's difficult to invoke a response in me," said Sun Miao, 23, who works for a logistics company.
Others said their first sighting of the original works of one of most famous artists in the world was nonetheless an eye-opening experience.
"I've not seen anything quite like this before," said student Niu Liyun, 20, who was admiring the simple lines and curves of Picasso's engravings in Prosper Mirimie's classic, Carmen, published by La Bibliothhque Francaise in 1949.
"They are very vivid and expressive. I especially like the depiction of the facial expressions," she said.
Young people in China, even those who pride themselves as patriots, are curious about and embrace everything Western from Hollywood blockbusters and computer games to art.
"I've always wanted to know more about Western culture, especially in the art field," Gong said.
"I think it's a good thing that these paintings have come to China because young people have so little understanding, and they don't really know what Western culture is really like," she said.
The collection features other works, including Le Tricorne (The Three-Cornered Hat), Picasso's design of sets and costumes for the 1919 Ballets Russes production of the ballet, and La Tauromaquia (The Bullfighter), 26 aquatint etchings illustrating the art of bullfighting completed in 1957.
Some visitors expressed disappointment that what was touted as Picasso's largest exhibition in Asia displayed none of his more colourful and famed masterpieces such as Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.
"This is not his main collection, I'm a bit disappointed," said Liu Xiaoxiao, a 33-year-old civil servant.
Curator Zeng Yi, the organiser of the exhibition, said exorbitant insurance and staging costs has snuffed out any idea of bringing Picasso's best known works to China.
The staging of Picasso's 10 by 16 metre "Parade" -- his largest canvas work completed in 1917 -- in Hong Kong last year cost over 10 million Hong Kong dollars (1.28 million dollars) excluding insurance fees.
Even so, Zeng said he hoped these lesser-known impressionist works could inspire a spirit of innovation and creativity among Chinese art lovers and professionals.
"Through this exhibition I hope more people will understand more about Picasso's personality and his thinking," he said.
The curator said he hoped Chinese artists would dare to do what Picasso did -- to push beyond traditional artistic limits and to experiment with unusual and avant-garde ideas.
"Most Chinese artists focus too much on traditional Chinese paintings, while this is good ... they never try to go one step beyond. They are always imitating other people's styles but art should be about one's own expression and thinking," said Zeng.
But some visitors found Picasso's erotic depiction of women's bodies in his 1968 illustrations for Fernando de Roja's 1499 novel La Cilestine too radical.
"Chinese people are not so expressive about bodies and desire, they don't really accept this side of modern art," said Liu.
Even so, the master's works seem to have the power to push aside cultural differences to reach the hearts of the less-sophisticated ordinary people.
Ling Chunliao, 74, a retired worker, said he came to spend his day at the art gallery with no specific aim.
"Picasso? I don't know who he is. I don't know where he is from," said the old man, sporting a blue Mao jacket and hat -- an increasingly rare sight in the Chinese capital nowadays.
Asked what he thought of the exhibition, he said: "It's quite nice I suppose. I like the bullfighting pictures, now I know more about bullfighting, my heart is somewhat fulfilled."
A good example of socialist art - something that most American and Western artists, from Picasso on down, must aspire to participate in, being that most of them consider themselves to be well to the left of center. They can't wait, I guess, to receive orders on exactly what to paint, from the State, I mean the democracy, or the people, or the community, etc.
Idiots.
The above is particularly evil, IMO.
I understand that John Singer Sargent attributed much of what he knew about painting to Velasquez.
It looks like I may have found a site that lets me link. If that refuses to stay up, I suppose I can copy the image to my hard drive and upload it to my own space and link from there...
Anyhow, I like this painting.
Very nice! Thanks for posting the pics.
Did you realize that Velazquez was probably influenced by Caravaggio, working in the early 17th century, especially this somewhat gay image of Bacchus? Velazquez's image is definitely more down-to-earth and robust. But there is something nicely sensuous about Caravaggio's textures that are definitely seductive. I guess that's the point. :)
Yes, there is that contradiction with leftists, isn't there? They support the State, as long as it's their state. They long to be supported by the State, as long as it doesn't tell them what to do. (None of them would do any socialist art like this, probably because it is based in realism and that is not cool.) Leftists don't want any freedom of thought that challenges what they accept as dogma.
That red image is particularly bilious.
Those are beautiful. I really like realistic art. It takes real talent and skill to paint life life objects. And of course, if it's from the 19th century, it has to be good. : ) I especially like the Pre-Raphaelites.
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