Master’s Thesis: Johan Nieuhof’s ‘Porcelain Tower’

and its translation into 18th Century European visual culture

New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts, May 2016
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Michele Matteini

Louis Soulard’s master’s thesis represents the culmination of five years of research into cross-cultural and global art histories and material cultures, with special emphasis on themes of Chinoiserie, international diplomacy, travel literature, and commercial exchanges in the early modern period.
The subject of focus of the thesis, completed in 2016, revolves around European depictions of Nanjing’s Porcelain Pagoda, a majestic and triumphant architectural prowess that combines technical skill and artistic innovation through the use of glazed ceramic tiles adorning its facade. This specific pagoda as represented by Johan Nieuhof in 1665-1667, Soulard argues, represents a defining motif in Chinoiserie style prevalent in Europe from the 17th through the 19th century. Relying on methods and frameworks of analysis prevalent in global art historical scholarship, the thesis delves into the political, economic, and cultural implications of the motif and Chinoiserie at large— from Orientalist discourses to the creation of a stationary Chinese identity that will contribute to subsequent wars and conflicts with the West in centuries to follow.