Macau, Macau

Workshop 2002:

The Awakening of Romanticism: 19 th century Western Art (Painting, Literature, Music) and its relevance to Macau

Presenters

  • Fine Arts: César Guillén-Nuñez, M.Phil.
  • Literature & Music: Artur Wardega, S.J.

Date:

  • 18 October, 2002 to 25 April, 2003

Location:

  • The Macau Ricci Institute

Languages:

  • English

Introduction

Session I: Early 19th. Century, 18 October 2002

Session II: Early 19th. Century, 5 November 2002

Session III: Middle 19th. Century, 13 December 2002

Session IV: Middle 19th. Century, 21 February 2003

Session V: Late 19th. Century, 21 March 2003

Session VI: Late 19th. Century, 25 April 2003

Organising Institutions

  • MACAU RICCI INSTITUTE

Session I: Early 19th Century, 1

Date:

  • October 18, 2002

Time:

  • 18:30 - 20:30

Location:

  • The Macau Ricci Institute

Languages:

  • English

Introduction

This session examines how the rediscovery of the Middle Ages in the arts gave birth to Romanticism, in an age of an unusual subjectivism and "suffering of souls" in times of great political and social upheavals. It is reflected not only in music and literature, but also in the new interest of painters for the solitary beauty and power of landscapes. Curiously, the latter had already interested traditional painters in China.

Organising Institutions

  • MACAU RICCI INSTITUTE

Session II: Early 19th Century, 2

Date:

  • November 15, 2002

Time:

  • 18:30 - 20:30

Location:

  • The Macau Ricci Institute

Languages:

  • English

Introduction

This session asks the question: "Classicism or Romanticism" ? To which of these artistic currents did the creations of leading 19th century poets, writers, musicians and painters belong? To answer such a question, this session will look at the battle of "Hernani" and at the model of an Ideal Romantic protagonist in some Literary and Musical masterpieces. It will also look at the way both the Neo- Classical and the Romantic ideals were reaching as far as China and Macau through the works of architects and painters such as George Chinnery and China Trade artists.

Organising Institutions

  • MACAU RICCI INSTITUTE

Session III: Mid. 19th Century, 1

Date:

  • December 13, 2002

Time:

  • 18:30 - 20:30

Location:

  • The Macau Ricci Institute

Languages:

  • English

Introduction

Historical Truth or Pure Beauty? Drama or Harmony of Souls? These are questions that inform the aesthetics and spiritual search of Romantic writers, musicians and artists. A similar spiritual and psychological quest is reflected in the portraits of Romantic painters, including George Chinnery in Macau, as well as in the character and lives of the persons painted by Chinnery and others.

Organising Institutions

  • MACAU RICCI INSTITUTE

Session IV: 19th Century, 2

Date:

  • February 21, 2003

Time:

  • 18:30 - 20:30

Location:

  • The Macau Ricci Institute

Languages:

  • English

Introduction

This section examines a "kaleidoscope" of romantic attitudes in the arts. As far as literature is concerned there is an affectionate reappraisal of Christianity, followed by mysticism and visionary trends, especially in poetry. Special attention will be given to the search in the arts for a way to give voice to the social and human disruption of the times. To a certain extent the portraits painted in Macau by George Chinnery and his Chinese follower Lamqua also reflect these artistic developments in Europe. The social and historic upheavals occurring at this time in China will be discussed in this respect.

Organising Institutions

  • MACAU RICCI INSTITUTE

Session V: Late 19th Century, 1

Date:

  • March 21, 2003

Time:

  • 18:30 - 20:30

Location:

  • The Macau Ricci Institute

Languages:

  • English

Introduction

In literature and music this is a period in which ideas take the place of faith and pragmatism takes the place of aesthetic pleasure. Some kind of "prophetical messianism" also makes its appearance in literature. A new mission appears in some of the works of art of this period, consisting of the confrontation of evil in society and in a fascination with the abyss of the soul and its anxiety.

In the fine arts in the West an architectural eclecticism develops and is transported to Macau during the last decades of the Romantic Movement. At this time Romantic sculpture is introduced to the city, but the leading school of Western painting emerging in Macau after the death of Chinnery continues to create quiet, decorative topographical views and landscapes, divorced from developments in Europe.

Organising Institutions

  • MACAU RICCI INSTITUTE

Session VI: Late 19th Century, 2

Date:

  • April 25, 2003

Time:

  • 18:30 - 20:30

Location:

  • The Macau Ricci Institute

Languages:

  • English

Introduction

"Make it new" could be the leitmotif for this section. The arts are in search of new sources of inspiration. Edward Greig said: "Chopin taught me how to write in Norwegian ". We will take a closer look at the key role of national folklore and of Asiatic exoticism in art's new approach to a changing world.

This search for novelty had profound consequences for sculpture and painting, with the appearance of a radical new way of seeing the world surrounding the artist. Macau's dependency on Portugal for Western influences is reflected by the fact that, inevitably for the times, these revolutionary changes would only arrive much later. In the meantime China Trade painting continued to be sold in Hong Kong and Macau, but had little left to say. It is only Chinese artists from the mainland and Hong Kong that proved really creative towards the end of the century.

Organising Institutions

  • MACAU RICCI INSTITUTE