Page 21 - Art In The Age Of Exploration (Great Section on Chinese Art Ming Dynasty)

branches of the visual arts that have the most successful European expansion into the area. point of historical or cultural interest in the
pronounced intellectual and theoretical stamp: The final section of the show, "The Ameri- period will be reflected in a work of aesthetic
the mathematically-structured rendition of cas," provides a sampling of the extraordinary interest. Throughout the late fifteenth-century
space and the revival of the classically-inspired diversity that characterized civilization in the world, patrons generally determined the
human figure. It concludes with presentations Americas during this period. Like the other subject-matter of the works they commissioned,
of works by Leonardo and Diirer, the two mas- sections, it represents a limited selection. The and the achievements of royalty and the nobility
ters whose wide-ranging intellectual curiosity — Aztecs and Inkas had created great empires by were more likely to be commemorated than
which centered on man but ranged across the any standard, and their rulers were capable of those of people of more modest origins, however
entire natural world —makes them particularly employing art for political ends with all the famous they may ultimately have become.
characteristic embodiments of the period's subtlety of Renaissance princes. And yet the Some of the historical events that to us seem
aspirations. extraordinary skill evinced by the works in gold the most crucial found no expression whatso-
"Toward Cathay" presents the lands of east- produced in the more modest societies headed ever in works of art in the period. Columbus'
ern Asia, the goal of the early European voy- by caciques, or chiefs, in what are now Costa landfall was depicted in only a few modest
agers. Except in the case of India, there were Rica and Colombia indicate that the visual arts woodcuts (cat. 136) in early editions of the
few real connections between the European also flourished in less complex political settings. letter he wrote upon his return. Admiral Zheng
states and these countries until much later in Chiefdoms of this sort were characteristic of He's voyages, which in many ways were far
the sixteenth century. This section conse- much of the Americas at this period, and the more extraordinary than Columbus' are also
quently deals not with the encounters that were works in the exhibition created by the Tamos known primarily from texts rather than images.
to come but rather with the civilizations of in the West Indies, the Tupinamba in Brazil, The major European artists of the period, like
Japan, Korea, China and India as they existed in and the Woodlands peoples in what is now the those for whom Fernandez de Oviedo yearned,
the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century, southeastern United States document other cul- often traveled, but generally within Europe,
reflected in their visual arts. What is most strik- tures of this type. The work of archaeologists staying close to the principal centers of patron-
ing about Asia in this period is how far its cul- and ethnographers has given us substantial age. Venice's special relationship with the Is-
ture surpassed Europe's in precisely that insight into the often intricate systems of lamic world enabled some of her masters to
technological dimension with which the Euro- meaning in which such works of art figure. In travel to and work in the Near East; the Recep-
peans were already so enamored. China, admin- the case of the Aztec religion, which absorbed tion of the Ambassadors (cat. 106) is the most
istered by an efficient bureaucracy that had subsidiary faiths as the empire expanded, theo- impressive visual document of this fascinating
already perfected a civil service system, was the logical thought achieved particular complexity. episode. The New World in this period, how-
archetype of the great world empire. The The exhibition includes a veritable pantheon of ever, attracted far more adventurers than
emerging European kingdoms seem paltry Aztec deities; as Miguel Leon-Portilla explains artists; the latter knew it principally through
indeed by comparison, despite the ambitious in his essay, however, these were in reality sub- the artifacts that were shipped back to Europe.
titles which their rulers were fond of adopting. ordinated to more inclusive spiritual concepts. It was on his trip to the Low Countries that
Far Eastern porcelains were regarded as almost Although the occasion for the exhibition is a Diirer was able to view and admire the Aztec
miraculous objects in Europe, and printed books historical anniversary, Circa 1492 was conceived treasures that Cortes presented to Charles v.
were in wide circulation in both China and as an exhibition of works of art, not of historical Maddeningly enough, although Diirer appears
Korea centuries before Gutenberg's press. documents. Even the objects like maps and sci- always to have had a sketchbook with him, no
While European maps of the fourteenth and entific instruments that appear in the show drawings of his are known of the now-lost mas-
early fifteenth century, prior to the rediscovery were chosen for their aesthetic quality as well as terpieces which he described.
of Ptolemy's Geography, present a fantastic for their historical importance. It is our belief Sometimes art and history combine serendip-
image of the East, Korea's world map of 1402, that works of art can bring this period alive in a itously in a single object. That is particularly
which is discussed in Gari Ledyard's essay, was way that no other artifacts can. That premise true of the celebrated Catalan Atlas of 1375
systematically compiled from the best available also required us to make decisions, a process (cat. i), the centerpiece of "Distant Worlds."
models and actually included a reasonably which is most easily explained by specific This map of the world, produced by the Jewish
accurate account of Europe. Major advances in examples. cartographer Abraham Cresques in Majorca, is
technology in eastern Asia had taken place long Fortunately for the organizers of an art both our principal image of Europe's vision of
before this period, and the development there exhibition, visual beauty was remarkably perva- the East, which was still based largely on Marco
was more gradual, the consequences less revolu- sive in the material culture that has survived Polo's Travels, and a spectacular work of illumi-
tionary. That may be why there are no real par- from the fifteenth and early sixteenth century. nation in its own right. Its famous representa-
allels in the Far East at this time to works like In the societies of 1492, artistry could be lav- tion of a caravan along the Silk Route splendidly
Uccello's studies in perspective (cats. 139-140), ished on the most utilitarian objects, particu- illustrates the early land-based trade with the
which embody the artist's exultant fascination larly if they were crafted for the wealthy and East. It was indeed fortunate that the Atlas
with his discovery of the possibilities of mathe- powerful. Just to take an example, while few art entered the French royal collection soon after it
matics. The early development of technological museums would exhibit contemporary weapons, was created, remaining there and ultimately
expertise in Asia had obvious political conse- the splendid parade armor made in Innsbruck entering the Bibliotheque Nationale.
quences : the principal countries were formidable for the young Charles v (cat. 36), or a Muroma- Accidents of survival are particularly critical
powers circa 1492. Several essays in this cata- chi daimyo's colorful lacquered armor (cat. 257- for our image of the art of the Americas. The
logue speculate on the reception Columbus 258), or an Aztec ruler's carved and gilded widespread destruction that accompanied the
might have received had his voyage actually spear-thrower (cat. 384) are objects of great sixteenth-century wars of conquest effectively
taken him to southeastern Asia; they make it beauty by anyone's definition. eliminated whole categories of works of art. The
clear that this was not a propitious moment for There is no guarantee, however, that each Inkas' large-scale works in precious metals, for

20 CIRCA 1492