Although I used my free pass for the initial post this week, I was particularly intrigued by reading about Chinese ethics, as well as Americans’ great appreciation for Japanese art. To begin with, after the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in 1882, immigration of all Chinese labors was prohibited. The act was known as a significant turning point in the relations with Asian immigrants and their descendants. It brought light to how Chinese laborers were viewed as they arrived in large numbers to the U.S. and were known as either voluntary or coerced laborers during the mid 19th century.
Westerners were not aware of the strong foundation that the Chinese had in art. One reason that the historical context of a majority of the artwork was lost was because of the fact that a great quantity of prestigious pieces were seized and brought to non-native countries. My classmate, Alex, highlighted the fact that although this practice has raised greater awareness on the Chinese culture in different countries, it has put a damper on the historical significance which the pieces held as their relocation caused their value to be lost. While it is important for all countries to be educated on various cultures, I agree with Alex in that the artwork should remain in its native country in order for the owners to continue to pass down its significance to future generations. I am a strong believer that the origination of artwork should be greatly appreciated and commemorated.
While Americans were known for being attracted to the artistic components of beauty and aestheticism, they often took into consideration a piece’s appearance, as opposed to its historical value. My classmate, Jose, relayed that Americans highly regarded artwork that embodied “public virtues and other highly principled messages” (75). As Japanese art aligned with these values, featuring nature and the principle of virtue, they included a much greater amount of Japanese pieces in American museums, as opposed to Chinese art. While the passage of the act in 1882 could have potentially contributed to the Americans’ strong dislike of Chinese art, I was quite amazed by the fact that there wasn’t a tremendous distinction between the two art forms. As we have studied such beautiful, historically, as well as religiously significant art forms in the Chinese material culture, I still can’t believe the fact that Chinese artwork was not greatly cherished.
Three things I learned this week:
- The historical context of a majority of Chinese artwork was lost because of the fact that a great quantity of prestigious pieces were seized and brought to non-native countries.
- Americans highly regarded artwork that embodied “public virtues and other highly principled messages” and, therefore, they were very fond of Japanese artwork (75).
- Although Americans demonstrated their great preference of Japanese art over Chinese art, there was no significant distinction between the two art forms.
Works Cited
Metrick-Chen, Lenore. Collecting Objects/excluding People : Chinese Subjects and American Visual Culture, 1830-1900. Albany N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 2012.
