18th Century France's View of China

Author: (French) Henri Cordier
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Reading this book is like being guided by a century-old tour guide, instantly immersing you in 18th-century French and European society, and placing you directly into the vibrant cultural context of the "Chinoiserie" and "Chinese Wave" that swept across the West during that era. The author truly acts as a great guide versed in both Eastern and Western cultures, leading us through the palaces, mansions, museums, gardens, and workshops of 18th-century France and Europe. With detailed materials and exquisite illustrations, he shows and tells us how Chinese ceramics, silk, and decorative arts changed the customs of the French and Europeans, and how the influx of Chinese garden architecture and other crafts influenced the transformation of French and European artistic styles. What profound impact did Chinese knowledge and thought have on French culture? This is an academic monograph that studies the "Chinese Fever" that flourished in France during the 18th century and is part of the "Getting Closer to China" cultural translation series edited by Qian Linsen. The book is divided into seven chapters, with the author examining the influence of China on France from seven perspectives:
1. The influence of Chinese silk, porcelain, and tea on France;
2. The influence of Chinese art on France;
3. The influence of Chinese architecture on France;
4. The influence of Chinese entertainment on France;
5. The influence of Chinese medicine on France;
6. The influence of the Chinese knowledge system on France;
7. The direct impression that Chinese people in France gave to the French.
During the Enlightenment, French intellectuals were deeply fascinated by Chinese civilization. The author, with his profound expertise in Eastern studies, analyzes when and how this trend emerged, and how the once-popular Chinese style flourished into the dominant "century-style" that shaped the cultural wave of 18th-century Europe.