Examines decorative Chinese works of art and visual culture, known as chinoiserie, in the context of church and state politics, with a particular focus on the Catholic missions' impact on Western attitudes toward China and the Chinese.
“A fascinating and provocative thesis that ties early modern European representations of China and the Chinese into a cohesive narrative.”—Diane Fourny, University of Kansas
“Cogently argued in refreshingly lucid prose, China and the Church offers a provocative and wholly new perspective on European chinoiserie. Bringing an impressive array of new research to bear on the subject, the book presents a vivid and powerful account of the cultural, political, and artistic contexts that produced chinoiserie. Johns seriously reconsiders chinoiserie as a cross-cultural phenomenon, deeply shaped by cultural exchange, trade, and global politics.”—Melissa Hyde, University of Florida
"This slender but beautifully produced book by Christopher Johns, a scholar of Late Baroque Italy, approaches China from the West, looking at the impact of the Jesuit exchange upon chinoiserie."
