Topic: Art at the Qing Court: Image, Ritual, Power
This seminar is concerned with the art and building projects of
the emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), with special
emphasis on the reigns of Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and
Qianlong (1662-1795).  The Qing was a dynasty of Manchu
conquerors, deeply resented by many patriotic Chinese; the
emperors made use of  painting, architecture, textiles, and other
arts to assert their legitimacy, promulgate ideologies, construct
and project images of the state, and document their ownership of
Chinese culture. Of particular interest are the Qing rulers'
"occidentalism" and their encouragement of western painting
techniques, introduced to them by Jesuit missionaries; and their
monumental ambitions and accomplishments as collectors, which
have done much to shape the canons of Chinese art received and
studied today.

The course is a combined reading course and research seminar.
Throughout the semester, we'll read and discuss scholarship on
various aspects of Manchu court culture and art: imperial
portraits, Italian artists at court, the emperors' European
villa, decorative arts and the state workshops, the imperial art
collection, and others. Students will also prepare research
projects on  topics of interest to them, to be presented in class
towards the end of the semester and also handed in. Previous
course work in Chinese art is not a necessity.
The seminar is scheduled for Tuesdays 2-4, but may be
rescheduled to suit everyone's needs.