Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi

Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), a prominent Italian Jesuit missionary, and his Chinese contemporary Xu Guangqi (1562-1633), an agronomist, astronomer, mathematician, politician, and writer of the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644) are shown wearing traditional Chinese palace robes and standing in front of a Christian altar. Above them, an image of the Virgin Mary and the Christ-child is surrounded by three poorly imitated Chinese inscriptions. Jesuits like Ricci traveled to China to spread religion. He learned Chinese and befriended government officials such as Xu Guangqi, creating the initial contacts that bridged cultures. This 17th century image was made in Amsterdam by engravers that had never visited China, and was produced for a book written by Kircher, a Jesuit who had likewise never been to Asia.