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Finnish-Swedish art historian Osvald Sirén (1879–1966) was one of the pioneers of Chinese art scholarship in the West. This biography focuses on his four major voyages to East Asia: 1918, 1921–23, 1929–30 and 1935. This was a pivotal period in Chinese archaeology, art studies and formation of Western collections of Chinese art. Sirén gained international renown as a scholar of Italian art, particularly with his books on Leonardo da Vinci and Giotto. But when he was almost 40 years old, he was captivated by Chinese art (paintings of Lohans in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston) to such an extent that he decided to start his career anew, in a way. He has left his mark in several fi elds in Chinese art studies: architecture, sculpture, painting and garden art. The study charts Sirén’s itineraries during his travels in Japan, Korea and China; it introduces the various people in those countries as well as in Europe and North America who defined the field in its early stages and were influential as collectors and dealers. It also explores the impact of theosophical ideas in his work.
Imprint: London, John Lane, 1924. The Walls and Gates of Peking was a book written by Osvald Siren and originally published in English language for 800 copies by John Lane in London in 1924. It provides historical records of the walls and gates of Beijing and has 109 photos taken by Osvald Siren and 50 architectural drawings made by Chinese artists. ARCHIVAL REPRINT: Limited Edition. Privately printed. Frontispiece plate. Illustrated with line drawings, architectural renderings, coloured plates, photographic plates; index.
Comments by noted landscapists, poet-painters, historians, and theoreticians; discussions of Ch'an Buddhism and its relation to painting; methods of study and aesthetic principles, more.
This is the most comprehensive English-language compilation available on Chinese painters and their works from the late sixth through the mid- fourteenth century. Incorporating the work of Ellen Johnson Laing and Osvald Siren, the Index includes biographical details of the artists, their style and studio names.
For students of Chinese art and culture this anthology has proven invaluable since its initial publication in 1985. It collects important Chinese writings about painting, from the earliest examples through the fourteenth century, allowing readers to see how the art of this rich era was seen and understood in the artists’ own times. Some of the texts in this treasury fall into the broad category of aesthetic theory; some describe specific techniques; some discuss the work of individual artists. The texts are presented in accurate and readable translations, and prefaced with artistic and historical background information to the formative periods of Chinese theory and criticism. A glossary of terms and an appendix containing brief biographies of 270 artists and critics add to the usefulness of this volume.