Art in China

by Craig Clunas

About the Oxford History of Art

"An impressively challenging and ambitious series intended to rewrite no less than the whole history of art in terms of new ideas and new scholarship."--Christopher White, Director of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

"A welcome introduction to art history for the twenty-first century....The best of the past and future."--Robert Rosenblum, New York University

The last twenty years have witnessed profound changes in art history, the greatest of which stem from the social and cultural perspectives now attached to art scholarship. Written by scholars at the forefront of new thinking, many of whom are rising stars in their fields, the Oxford History of Art
series offers substantial and innovative texts that clarify, illuminate, and debate the critical issues at the heart of art history today. Providing a fresh new look at art that moves away from traditional elitist approaches, the series makes use of new research and methodologies, as well as newly
accessible and non-canonical works to offer comprehensive coverage of the art world from archaic and classical Greek art to twentieth-century design and photography, from the artistry of African-American and Native North Americans to the masterpieces of Europe, Polynesia, and Micronesia. Lavishly
illustrated and superbly designed, the Oxford History of Art brings new substance and verve to the exciting and ubiquitous world of art.

China boasts a history of art spanning 5,000 years and embracing a wide diversity of images and objects--from jade tablets, painted silk handscrolls and fans to ink and lacquer painting, porcelain-ware, sculpture, and calligraphy. But this rich tradition has not, until now, been fully appreciated
in the West where scholars have focused their attention on sculpture, while largely ignoring those art forms most highly prized by the Chinese themselves, such as calligraphy. Now, in Art in China , Craig Clunas marks a breakthrough in the study of the subject. Taking into account all the arts
practiced in China, and drawing on recent innovative scholarship, this rich text examines the production and consumption of art in its appropriate contexts. From art found in tombs to the state-controlled art of the Mao Zedong era, Art in China offers a novel look and comprehensive examination of
all aspects of Chinese art.

Genres: Art, China, History, Nonfiction, Art History, Art Design, Reference

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[v · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you can find it used for cheap like I did, the Oxford History of Art's Art in China is easy to recommend as a solid beginner's survey. Craig Clunas includes an enormous further reading section, useful maps and tables, and, of course, full-color reproductions that tie the package together. Clunas' approach, generally speaking, is an analysis of art as material culture, and the book's arrangement into chapters on spheres of artistic production and consumption (the temple, the court, the market-place, etc.) is effective and demonstrates, among other things, how an aesthetic appreciation of art objects emerged in China as well as theories of representation and subject matter. Architecture is excluded entirely, which is understandable but unfortunate. I feel, though, that intro art books like this can show and teach the reader a lot but articulate very little about what makes art powerful even when you're looking at little pictures of the most astonishing creations that one of the world's great civilizations has to offer.

The surviving [calligraphic] pieces attributed to Wang Xizhi include the small change of elite social intercourse: comments on the weather, and a note dashed off to accompany a gift of oranges, as well as longer Daoist religious texts and prose pieces commemorating social gatherings. But their very personal nature was felt in later centuries to bring the viewer and the writer closer, and it was this ideal of 'communion of spirit' with a past figure which lay at the heart of calligraphic practice.

[Stephanie Cecilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads too much like a museum guide.

[Natalie Zhang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to jog my memory about the Chinese art historical timeline. I appreciate Clunas' way of dividing the book into sections that revolve around the arts' purpose of creation. For a survey class, I think this book is very effective in helping students understand the environment that stimulated various forms of art and craft, as opposed to a long, wieldy chronological timeline based on dynasties. For the complete novice or student that's taking a Chinese art history course simply to fulfill a GE, sometimes the syntax in this book comes off as overly erudite, which can make for a more difficult read.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A survey of Chinese art, mostly pictorial, extending up to the early 2000s, it has decent illustrations and serves as a good introduction to the topic.

[Monica St. Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

fifty two book club 2022: read a book involving the art world

[Dylan Rock · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and broad study of Chinese art from the Stone Age to the Contemporary . My one criticism would be while great in detail, its limited number pages made me long for more .

[Ana Basualdo · Rating 3 out of 5]

No lo leí completo

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed and interesting overview of Chines art from prehistory to the modern day. Highly accessible for all types of readers, and written in a lively manner.

[Stamen Parushev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book