Imagining And Depicting China In America

Geographically remote and less-obviously intertwined politically and culturally, China’s distance has fostered an active imaginary, producing rich visual and textual resources. This seminar examines narrative and visual culture over the long period Americans have been fascinated with China and the Chinese, from the 18th century to the present. Visual primary sources are our principal “texts” and include paintings, cartoons, decorative arts, photography, films, fiction, news articles, and government documents. The goal of the course is to interrogate how we envision China and the Chinese today, placing that vision within a critical historical perspective.Enrollment limited to 20.