Fang-hiang instrument chinois before 1828

Pierre Félix van Doren made this drawing of a “Fang-hiang instrument chinois”, or Chinese musical instrument, using graphite on paper. Van Doren chose simple materials to record a complex object. You can almost hear the instrument from the detailed depiction of the bells arranged in tiers. The drawing style itself is quite linear and precise, suggesting an interest in capturing the instrument’s form and structure. Though we do not see the instrument itself here, we can infer that van Doren felt it was important to record the object in this way. In his practice, Van Doren left behind the gestural freedom of much academic drawing. Instead, the emphasis is on faithful transcription. In doing so, this artwork bridges the divide between artistic expression, and documentation. The work pushes us to reconsider the boundary between art and craft in the pursuit of cultural understanding.