EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW • 人物專訪 2023 UMAGAZINE 28 • 澳大新語 43 Prof Li points out that Renaissance artists often had to seek a compromise between the sacred and the secular in their works. ‘From a modern perspective, that era embraced both humanism and faith, sometimes resulting in seemingly paradoxical artistic representations. To decode these, we have to immerse ourselves in the artists’ religious mindset.’ Enchanted by Leonardo da Vinci’s Works Among the renowned works of the Renaissance, none is more celebrated than Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, which is housed at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Prof Li is fond of Leonardo da Vinci and dedicates a significant portion of his office bookshelf to the Renaissance master. ‘The fascination of his artworks lies in their myriad hidden layers, which always captivate those who seek to decipher them.’ Prior to Leonardo da Vinci, Western female portraits were often depicted in profile, similar to the portrait on a coin, with the silhouette of the figure highlighted. However, the Mona Lisa presents a three-quarter profile. Prof Li explains that when Leonardo da Vinci painted this masterpiece, he employed his signature sfumato technique. The artist created a gradient effect on the painting by applying successive thin layers of semi-transparent paint and letting each layer dry before adding the next. This technique gives the impression that the figure in the painting is gazing at the viewer, regardless of their position. According to Prof Li, the brilliance of the Mona Lisa extends beyond the groundbreaking technique; it lies in the emotional connection the painting establishes with the viewer. ‘Leonardo da Vinci’s body of work depicts interpersonal relationships. His early pieces demonstrate the relationships between the figures within the painting, while his later works focus more on the interaction between the painting and the viewer. When we look at the Mona Lisa, we all become, in a sense, Leonardo da Vinci. We not only observe the smiling lady and the landscape behind her, but may also sense an emotional connection with the lady, who symbolises a mother figure. The underlying meanings of these masterpieces often transcend the artworks themselves and become a narrative that involves the viewer.’ The Representation of Life in Art For Prof Li, art is a harmonising force amid diverse perspectives, going beyond any kind of dominance Under the guidance of Prof Ge Lu at Peking University, Li focused on Chinese aesthetics in his studies. During that time, there was an influx of Western ideas into China, prompting intellectuals to reassess the core of Chinese culture. This setting had a profound influence on Prof Li’s art criticism and his research on Chinese art theory. He explains, ‘My approach to art is to fully understand Western art concepts and then revisit our own traditional culture based on that.’ Exploring the Mysteries of Renaissance Art During his professorship at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Prof Li gained a profound understanding of European art through several academic visits. He visited the National Heritage Institute in France in 2002, the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in 2011, and Harvard University in the US in 2013. ‘Art is woven into the fabric of everyday life in Europe,’ he remarks. ‘Art pieces are omnipresent in churches, museums, and beyond, presenting abundant opportunities for individuals to step into the minds of great artists. I could immerse myself in the realm of art at any given moment, wherever I went.’ Proficient in Chinese, English, French, and Italian, Prof Li believes that mastering multiple languages is essential for in-depth study of art history. ‘It is necessary to immerse oneself in the original works, the source texts, and the authentic language environment,’ he says. ‘The source language serves as the cultural language of the creators. Without understanding the creator’s cultural language, we can hardly get a grasp on their works and truly appreciate them.’ Prof Li believes that some artworks can stand the test of time because they carry profound meanings. To understand what message the artists sought to convey through the masterpieces, one must understand their historical backdrop. Prof Li, who advocates studying the history of Renaissance art through source texts, notes, ‘In his painting Annunciation, the 15th-century artist Francesco del Cossa painted a column between an angel and the Virgin Mary. The column was surprisingly arranged, which leads to a question: do the angel and Mary really see each other? However, from a macroscopic perspective, the presence of the column underscores the interplay of the divine in the secular world. The column symbolises Christ, and Christ himself is a miracle.’
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ1NDU2Ng==