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Traces of China Ep. 2: How France became a center of Chinoiserie

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As knowledge of China spread in the 17th century, King Louis XIV of France learned of a magnificent porcelain temple in the Chinese city of Nanjing. Inspired by it, he commissioned the Trianon de Porcelaine, widely regarded as the first true example of Chinoiserie or Chinese-inspired art crafted in France. By the 18th century, aristocrats and wealthy Europeans eagerly sought Chinese furniture, wallpapers, lacquerware and ceramics. Artists and craftsmen also emulated Chinese-style crafts and artworks, adapting and reinterpreting them to suit European tastes, ultimately shaping the distinctive style of Chinoiserie. In the second episode of Traces of China, we explore the flourishing of Chinese artistic influence in 17th- and 18th-century France, particularly during the reign of King Louis XIV. We examine how Chinese art, and even architecture, became deeply embedded in the imaginations of the European elite.

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