Preface
WANDERING ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE: ART JOURNEY IN MACAO
Curator — Ng Fong Chao
The Macao Museum of Art (MAM), founded in 1999, has inherited the entire collection of the former Luís de Camões Museum. Over the decades, MAM has been committed to acquiring, preserving and studying artworks and showcasing the continuous development of fine arts in Macao to the public through different thematic exhibitions every year. Featuring the works of foreign artists, this exhibition entitled ‘Wandering across the Landscape’ displays the city’s historical landscapes mainly between the 18th and the 20th centuries and Macao-themed artistic creations in the modern and contemporary eras.
Macao has a long history under the joint influence of Chinese and Western cultures. In that sense, all the people who live here, be they local Chinese influenced by Lingnan culture, Portuguese who came across the ocean, Macanese, immigrants from Mainland China, or foreigners who used to sojourn here, can be considered ‘Macao people’. Macao used to serve as a facilitator for the exchange of knowledge between the East and the West.
During that time, a number of artists created a wealth of Macao-themed artworks as they walked through the streets and alleys, observing and recording the local culture and history known for the combination of Chinese and Western influences. These works serve as records of the various local customs and urban landscapes formed in a city, inhabited by both the Chinese and Westerners.
The unique senses and perspectives of artists are developed when light, colours, scenery and objects are integrated into their experience and sentiments. Therefore, certain landscapes or objects are translated into artists’ perspectives, which are then embedded in their works. Viewers are also looking at the ‘old’ Macao with sentiments and from perspectives of their own: pavilions of Chinese classical gardens, Portuguese architecture with a romantic European touch, Catholic churches with towering spires and ancient Chinese temples with a solemn ambience, as well as the tranquil coastline with sailboats at fishing ports and the imposing Lighthouse atop Guia Hill. These works represent the essence of the city where Chinese traditional culture is maintained and integrated with Western civilisation.
Topographical Images: Prints from the 17th to the 19th Centuries
Mostly drawn by painters, draughtsmen, cartographers, or travelling artists of Western diplomatic corps, topographical images serve as quick and accurate records of information such as topography, geography, hydrology, streetscapes and architecture. Topographical images of Macao were produced in several forms including sketches, drawings, watercolours and oil paintings.
The development of Western prints is closely linked with the book-printing industry. As an ancient means of cultural transmission, books have borne a rich amount of historical and cultural information. These Western artists returned to Europe with memories of Macao as recorded in their works, which were then used as book illustrations after being transformed into copperplate etchings and lithographs by publishers in Europe, or were regularly published on periodicals as print illustrations and travel records, which marked the start of the West’s learning about Macao.
The prints featuring Macao landscapes between the 17th and 19th centuries in the MAM collection are illustrations delicately engraved and printed by painters or plate makers based on original sketches. These works, created in various compositions and angles, revealed Macao to the world from various perspectives, including bird’s-eye, high-angle, low-angle, distant, eye-level and peephole views. Today, these prints are gathered in Macao once again, showcasing landscapes of the old Macao to viewers from Westerners’ perspectives several centuries ago.
Chinnery’s Shadow: The Artist, His Companions and Students
Growing up in the golden era of watercolour in the United Kingdom, George Chinnery (1774 – 1852) sojourned in India for 23 years, during which time he rose to fame. He moved to Macao in 1825 and passed away in 1852. Chinnery’s influence on painting is not only attributable to his vivid and exquisite brushwork, but also to the great number of his works. Painters of export paintings liked to imitate his style, and Chinnery himself was willing to support emerging painters, making him stand out as the most influential Western artist across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. His passion for Macao is fully embodied in his paintings, which also roused viewers’ fascination for the city.
In addition to Chinnery’s works, this section also features works by Thomas Watson, William Prinsep and Auguste Borget who sojourned in Macao, as well as Baptista, who was born in the city. They were all apprentices and friends of Chinnery and met each other in Macao, where they were greatly inspired by the local ambience and landscape. After over a century, we can still identify in their works not only their memories about Macao but also the friendships and influences between them.
Today, some 100 years after their deaths, their works are reunited in Macao once again, resembling a spiritual journey to represent their affection for the city. Viewers can also sense their precious friendships from these works. This exhibition helps to realise these painters’ wish to reunite in Macao, which they were unable to fulfil during their lifetime.
Traces of Modern Art: Works from the 20th to the 21st Centuries
Since the 20th century, modern artistic trends have extended in multiple directions, bringing dramatic changes to art forms and aesthetic tendencies while exerting a gradual influence on the development of arts in Asia, including Macao. This section features works by 12 artists from Portugal, France, Russia, Germany, United States, Japan, Hong Kong and Guangdong province of China. The approximately 60 selected pieces (sets) of exhibits, created in various forms, are all themed around Macao. Some of these works have captured the impressions of light and colour; some represent the artist’ re-examination of oriental aesthetics by producing experimental ink paintings based on traditional Chinese painting techniques; some feature rational compositions pithily represented through abstract visual impressions; some give a distinctive depiction of Macao in the contemporary context by combining nature and technology. In an attempt to break the limitations of realism, these works have brought transformational changes to traditional forms through spiritual explorations and extended applications of concepts, thus expanding the public’s understanding of art forms and creating more diverse perspectives and approaches for viewing and interpreting Macao.
Conclusion
The vanished landscapes captured in the artworks echo the visible one. Macao is so captivating today that people are intrigued to trace its history. Just like a dream, it is enchanting despite being abstract and unfamiliar.
Time flies with everything constantly changing, but Macao is still home to a wealth of precious artworks created by many visiting painters, as well as historical memories and documents about the city that have withstood the test of time. These artworks, created by artists from different regions in diverse forms and styles, not only embody their different perspectives on Macao, but also allow viewers to form their unique and brand-new perspectives on the city.
These works create a doorway to art that is kept wide open, attracting people to wander, reminisce, take a respite and contemplate. ‘Wandering across the landscape’ also suggests that the course of art history, which constitutes a part of Macao’s artistic development and represents the creative journey which fascinates generations of artists. Today, we are introducing it to local residents and tourists from home and abroad, with the hope that everyone is able to feel the pulse of the era and the charm of the city while appreciating these artworks.