Prof Lucie Olivová is in Leiden to research our world-renowned collection of Chinese watercolour paintings made for export to Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. She will give a lecture on her recent research into Chinoiserie interiors in the Czech Republic, where, among other things, rare Chinese prints were used as wallpaper.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, luxury goods imported from China infatuated Europe, and in the field of applied arts gave rise to chinoiserie – imitations and reiterations of the original models. This lecture will investigate the remnants of Chinese fashion in Bohemia, at that time a part of the Habsburg domain. Located inland, the fashion arrived there later than to sea bound centres, and as a research subject, the topic still remains somewhat neglected.
I shall first present a survey of historic “Chinese” cabinets and parlours, and describe their wall-decorations. In most cases, they are represented by murals by local artists; interiors bedecked with authentic Chinese wall-papers are nonetheless also preserved. After pointing out their typology, I shall elaborate on the case of rococo interiors decorated with woodblock prints made in Suzhou in the early 18th century. These artefacts are now rare, and their aesthetic quality is highly regarded.
Evidence of this kind of decoration is proven in two Czech residences: Žleby (Schleb) and Veltrusy (Insel); in the latter the prints are still in place, featuring as components of the rococo interior. Designers of such interiors dealt with various challenges resulting from the quality of Chinese paper, and the relatively small format of the prints; this fact will be discussed, too. In conclusion, we shall note that Chinese fashion was predominantly followed by high ranking nobility who had social links to Viennese court.
| Date | Thursday February 23, 2023 |
| Time | 15:00-17:00 |
| Place | Grote zaal, Museum Volkenkunde |
| Price | Free (excluding mandatory museum admission ticket) |