Hannah Im | Discussion Post 8
During the lecture about Baroque art in China and Japan, I suddenly thought of Tumblr in the early 2010s. During that time, digital art of Disney characters in different cultural wear, modern styles, and clothing typical of the opposite gender circulated. Examples include images of Ariel reimagined in a green crop top and purple skinny jeans and Snow White wearing traditional Korean hanbok. Like this digital art, Baroque art is often a study of different regions and eras; Baroque art also combines different cultural imagery. Antiquarianism and Spanish Baroque art are studies of ancient relics and indigenous culture, respectively. A disclaimer should be made that Baroque and digital art are fundamentally different; this is just a rudimentary comparison between the two!
One example is the Virgin and Child statuette from Dehua, China. The art object references imagery of Mary the Virgin and Jesus, which is common in Western art. However, this object incorporates swirling cloud forms, a headdress, and flowing robes belonging to a Chinese style. This statuette is also made from porcelain native to Dehua. This Chinese iteration of the Virgin and Child effectively translates a Western religious concept into a Chinese style. Baroque art reimagines expansive global forces, like the Jesuit order or ancient Greek power, in culturally relevant and relatable ways.
While it is silly to compare Baroque to digital Tumblr art, the similarities reveal a broader theme: artists are in constant dialogue across the borders of time and space, even today.