The Creative Potential of Misreading: the Intercultural Logic of Chinoiserie in the Paintings of François Boucher

This study aims to provide a theoretical reexamination of the internal mechanisms behind the phenomenon of 18th-century French chinoiserie, focusing on the work of François Boucher. It attempts to unveil the creative logic underlying the development of this practice as an act of intercultural visual translation. The central question addressed is: through what system of operational strategies did European artists transform Chinese visual symbols into new forms palatable to their own cultural milieu? Chinoiserie is far from being a simple imitation or distortion of the East; rather, it constitutes a highly self-conscious and analytically accessible visual methodology.