Gezicht op een deel van het keizerlijk zomerpaleis in Chengde (Jehol) te China 1712 - 1714

Matteo Ripa created this drawing of the Imperial Summer Palace in Chengde, China, using pen and ink. The detailed linear work, ranging from meticulously placed small dots to curved lines that evoke the natural landscape, leads your eye across the scene. The palace buildings are carefully constructed with multiple receding planes, drawing you into the depths of the image. The use of line and perspective transforms space, creating an expansive landscape on a relatively small scale. The dotting technique, especially noticeable on the water, suggests a surface texture while also flattening the space, challenging traditional notions of depth. This play with perspective disrupts a singular viewpoint. Ripa's drawing is a formal exercise in contrasts: nature versus architecture, depth versus flatness, and Eastern subject matter rendered with Western techniques. It invites you to consider how the formal structure embodies a convergence of cultures, challenging fixed notions of representation.