FROM TOMB TO TEMPLE: ANCIENT CHINESE ART AND RELIGION IN TRANSITION
How did ancient Chinese create an underground space for the afterlife? Why was jade used as a medium to prolong human life or transcend the finite world? How was Buddhist art reappropriated in China? Why did calligraphy emerge as the highest artistic form of self-expression? What is the art of the silk-road? Learn about art forms and concepts that developed in China from remote antiquity to the mid-10th century. The artworks that survive from this long period were created primarily in the contexts of funerary culture and religion, while knowledge of art made for other purposes is based on texts. Organized chronologically, examine the materials, techniques, and functions of the most important artistic media in each period. These media will include jade-carving, metalwork, sculpture, ceramics, calligraphy, painting, textile and architecture. Consider the aesthetic concepts and social groups associated with the various art forms.
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: Sophomore standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Humanities & Arts Breadth - Humanities Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2024 Learning Outcomes: 1. Critically read art historical texts critically to interrogate authors for their argument, evidence, and content. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Analyze how an artwork’s format, materials, and visual properties convey meaning, content, and social function. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Discuss how an artwork relates to its socio-historical context, and—in turn—how its socio-historical context informs our reading of the artwork. Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Critically read art historical texts critically to interrogate authors for their argument, evidence, and content. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Analyze how an artwork’s format, materials, and visual properties convey meaning, content, and social function. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Discuss how an artwork relates to its socio-historical context, and—in turn—how its socio-historical context informs our reading of the artwork. Audience: Undergraduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027