Other Chinese Soldier 1738 - 1745

Editor: Here we have Francois Boucher’s “Other Chinese Soldier,” made around 1738-1745. It’s a drawing and engraving, so technically a print. I'm immediately struck by how…un-serious it feels. It’s a soldier, but there’s something almost comical about the pose and expression. What do you see in it? Curator: Ah, yes! Boucher! Delightful! Don't let the soldier's repose fool you, though. It is "chinoiserie," utterly enchanting. The 18th century lapped up anything remotely Chinese... without knowing a fig about China. Boucher, clever fellow, probably never laid eyes on a real Chinese soldier. What do we actually see? An aristocratic Frenchman, maybe, draped in vaguely “Eastern” garments, posing amidst theatrical props! It is a grand masquerade ball, on paper! Do you notice the casual arrangement of weapons? Editor: Masquerade, I like that! So it's more about fantasy than reality? The artist just riffing on a theme? Curator: Precisely! It speaks volumes about European fantasies, the exotic "Other". Think of it as...artistic tourism without the passport, creating myths about faraway lands for audiences back home. The man looks rather comfortable and is leaning against the cannon, no battles in sight! And tell me, do the shadows add to the humor, in your opinion? Editor: Now that you mention it, there *is* something playful about the light and shadow. It’s like stage lighting, almost, which adds to that whole masquerade idea. I went from thinking this was a weird portrait to understanding it’s about a cultural phenomenon, kind of a collective dream. Thanks, that helps to put it in a fresh light! Curator: And isn't that the magic of art? A little imagination takes you a long way! Each look reveals new perspectives and facets.