SOAS Research Online

Abstract

In recent years the discipline of the History of Art has witnessed attempts to devise theories that can illuminate artistic practices on a global scale. As one of a few traditions with a long history of self-reflexive writing on theory and practice, China seems likely to play a role in whatever conceptions historians may devise, but to date basic knowledge of key areas of China’s historic practices remain poorly known outside the field of Chinese Studies. This essay is a contribution to a volume that seeks to promote dialogue by inviting leading historians of China’s art to present concise analyses on a wide range of topics: academies, print, landscape, gardens, fashion, visuality, classification, agency, and the language of description, altogether more than fifteen key areas of study. The volume is organised under five rubrics — Production, Reality, Persons, Reflexivity, and Language.