Research Article

A Case Study of Sino-French Art Exchange in the Late 17th Century: A Comparison of Dome and Caisson Ceiling

Jiarun ZhangUniversity of Anhui*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Opening of the New Sea-route sparked a surge of Sino-Western fever in Europe, leading to close exchanges of Chinese and Western art and culture. Traces of mutual influence can be found in painting, decoration, furniture, and patterns. This article compares the seemingly similar caisson ceiling of the Wanchun Pavilion in China and the dome of the Invalides Church in France to further explore the possibility of mutual architectural borrowing between China and the West during this unique era based on the theory of cross-cultural communication. While the novelty of exotic styles can be particularly captivating, the exchange and collision of Eastern and Western cultures at this time was not about plagiarism, but rather mutual inspiration, learning from each other's strengths while incorporating their own unique characteristics, thus forming new artistic thoughts

Keywords: Movie Recommendation System; Personalized Recommendation; NeuralCollaborative Filtering; Implicit Feedback; Deep Learning
Published: December 31, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.NS31019
Volume: CHR Vol.99
pp. 60-68
Download PDF

References

  1. Wikipedia. Hôtel des Invalides. Available at:https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B4tel_des_Invalides (accessed August 29, 2025).
  2. Toutiao. The coiled dragon in the Wanchun Pavilion caisson ceiling. Available at: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7542530395548467753/?channel=&source=search_tab (accessed August 29, 2025).
  3. Ji, R. “Kangxi Emperor and the Sun King Louis XIV: The Encounter of Chinese and French Cultures.” The National Palace Museum Monthly of Chinese Art, no. 343 (2011): 31.
  4. Musée de l’Armée. (n.d.). The dome church of Les Invalides [PDF]. Retrieved August 29, 2025, from https://www.musee-armee.fr/fileadmin/user_upload/Documents/Support-Visite-Fiches-Objets/Fiches-periode-louis-XIV/dome-presentation-GB.pdf (accessed August 29, 2025).
  5. Zhang, L. “Cultural Symbols in Chinese Architecture.” Architecture and Design Review 1, no. 1 (2019): 1-18.
  6. Liang, S. Qing-style Construction Rules. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 2006.
  7. Hall, E. T. Beyond Culture. New York: Anchor Books / Doubleday, 1976, pp. 91-102.
  8. Hofstede, G. Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations across Nations. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2001, Chapter 3, pp. 79–140.
  9. Ma, B. Traditional Chinese Architectural Carpentry Techniques. 2nd ed. Beijing: Science Press, 2003, pp. 86, 256.
  10. Braham, A. J. “L’Eglise du Dôme.” Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 23, nos. 3-4 (1960): 216–224. https://doi.org/10.2307/750592
  11. Palace Museum. Wanchun Pavilion Panorama. Retrieved from https://pano.dpm.org.cn/#/panorama?panorama_id=63&scene_id=3348&scene_name=scene_3348_summer (accessed August 29, 2025).
  12. Zhou, Q. Divine Beasts in the Forbidden City. Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Publishing House, 2024, pp. 2–31.
  13. Kren, E., & Marx, D. (Eds.). (n.d.). Web Gallery of Art. Retrieved September 11, 2025, from https://www.wga.hu/index1.html (accessed August 29, 2025).
  14. Web Gallery of Art. St Louis Presenting to Christ the Sword. Available at:https://www.wga.hu/support/viewer/z.html (accessed August 29, 2025).
  15. China Youth Network. Tenon-and-mortise joint. Available at:https://qnzs.youth.cn/tsxq/201809/t20180904_11716744.htm (accessed August 29, 2025).
  16. Palace Museum. Interior Decoration of the Forbidden City Architecture. Beijing: Zijincheng Press, 2007.