Global Humanities

Adopting a flexible historical framework, this course will explore selected cases of cultural encounters between Europe and East Asia (particularly China and Japan) from the age of discovery and colonialism to the present. We will analyze particular texts, projects, and images that have been influential in shaping Western representations of and Western attitudes towards the “Orient.” The objective of the seminar is to help the students gain a historically grounded awareness of the complexities of cultural identities, always contesting and sometimes subverting the representations that claim to realistically depict and define them. We will examine how the European (or “Western”) approach to East Asian art (and the appreciation of it) has changed over the past two centuries. Moreover, the beginning of modern archaeology in China has shed new light and —in some cases— dramatically influenced the perspective of contemporary scholarship. Through critical readings of major texts written by leading Western art historians, one of the aims of this course will be to place Western scholarship on Chinese art in its historiographical, cultural, and institutional contexts. Intellectual inquisitiveness and open-mindedness are expected of all students. The synergy of students with different backgrounds will, it is hoped, contribute to the intellectual richness of the course

Good knowledge of English. The course will be taught in English. Some familiarity with the basic concepts of either the history or the art of China or Japan would be best.

All the materials and resources utilized for this course will be introduced and discussed in class, together with a reading-list of articles available in PDF. Some of these texts will function as guides for Chinese and Japanese art history and will be supplemented by other more in-depth readings (articles from academic periodicals or book chapters). This reading list will be provided once the course starts.

Attendance (either in person or distance) for this class is not compulsory.

Midterm presentation (optional) for attending students. Final oral exam that aims at evaluating the student’s level of knowledge and understanding expected at the end of the course. A typical oral exam consists of slide identification of artifacts (and understanding of their proper social, historic and philosophical context), definition of proper names and terms, and open questions on art-historical concepts. The minimum grade for passing the exam is 18/30. Students should demonstrate sufficient familiarity with the artworks and concepts introduced in class, as well as facts and issues introduced in the textbook, and have a general idea of the political and social changes that might parallel the development of art forms. They should have the ability to express themselves in good Italian. To get the highest passing grade (30/30 cum laude), students should demonstrate an excellent knowledge and understanding of all the artworks and concepts introduced in class, as well as facts and issues introduced in the textbook, being also able to express those concepts in a logical and coherent way.

For general information on Chinese and Japanese culture, see the relevant chapters in De Bary, Wm. Theodore, et al., eds., Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol. 1 & 2, New York: Columbia University Press, 2nd edition (1999-2000) (available at Centro Orientamento in PDF format) and Sources of Japanese Tradition. vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press, 2nd edition (2001) (available at Centro Orientamento in PDF format). A good source of information on Japanese art is Penelope MASON, History of Japanese Art, 2nd ed. (revised), New York: Prentice Hall & Abrams, 2005. For Chinese art, see Clunas, Craig. Art in China, Oxford History of Art series, Oxford University Press, 2009 (2nd ed.).

Lectures will provide the primary visual and intellectual content of the course. This class emphasizes visual literacy. Stylistic analysis of images and contextual interpretation of images will be the main focus of the training. Students will be highly encouraged to raise questions and share ideas, and to engage independently with the subject matter by preparing brief group presentations on selected topics as the semester progresses, in order to develop their critical opinion and communication skills, and promote discussion (that will include comparison and contrast of the different East Asian artistic expressions). Through classroom practice they will also learn to apply the knowledge and understanding acquired from texts and lectures to simulated working environments. Museum visits will help them familiarize with the material.