郭嵩焘伦敦画像事件考:图像的政治与文化相遇中的他者套式

A Study on Guo Songtao’s Portrait in London:The Politics of Images and the Other’s Stereotype

1878年,驻英公使郭嵩焘请英国画师古得曼(Walter Goodman)为自己画像,这本是一件普通之事,但国内的《申报》发表了关于画像的相关报道,提及画像过程的一些细节,郭嵩焘以为此报道"意取讪侮",十分不悦,他感到背后有人故意对其进行毁谤。其后有关"夫人外交"的争议,亦是此一事件的延续。郭嵩焘在驻英时期,正值国内政治局势动荡之际,革新与保守各派,多有交锋。担任郭嵩焘副手的刘锡鸿,与郭的思想立场迥异,是其身边主要的政治敌手。郭嵩焘以为《申报》的报道即是刘锡鸿等人的故意构陷。国内的反对势力趁此机会参劾郭嵩焘,终于造成了他被清廷召回的结果。郭嵩焘与古得曼关于画像的"分歧",体现的是中西文化间关于图像传统和文化观念的"冲突",折射出异文化观察中的"他者套式"(stereotype),而普通画像事件变成了一场政治角力,正可反映出图像的政治特征。

In 1878,Ambassador Guo Songtao invited the British painter Walter Goodman to paint his portrait.This is an ordinary thing,but the ShenBao published a related report on the portrait,mentioning some details of the painting process.Guo Songtao thought that the report was"intended to insult,"and got vexed that someone was deliberately slandering him.The subsequent dispute over"Madame diplomacy"is also a continuation of this incident.During the period of Guo’s stay in Britain,when the domestic political situation was in turmoil,there were many confrontations between the reformers and the Conservatives.Liu Xihong,who was Guo Songtao’s deputy,was the main political opponent of Guo.Guo thought that the report of Shenbao was the intentional frame up of Liu Xihong and others.The domestic opposition took this opportunity to impeach Guo,which finally resulted in his recall by the Qing government.The"divergence"between Guo and Goodman on portraits reflects the"conflict"between Chinese and Western cultures on image traditions and cultural concepts,and shows the"stereotype"in the observation of different cultures.However,the politics of image is demonstrated in an event that derived from an ordinary portrait and ended at a political struggle.