The Arts of China

ART 351

This course offers an introduction to art history through the art and visual culture of China from the Neolithic era to the 20th century. We will studies jade, bronze, lacquer, silk, Buddhist sculpture, ceramics, calligraphy, painting, architecture, film, and installation art forms at a moment in Chinese history when work in those media was especially innovative and important. We will examine how the religious, political, philosophical, and cultural traditions of China are expressed, created, and communicated by visual images and objects, proceeding chronologically and thematically. The objectives of this class are not only to gain knowledge of these art works in a cultural and historical context, but also to develop critical, visual, writing, and interpretive skills.