Chinese Art & Culture [Hardcover]

Robert L. Thorp (Author), Richard Ellis Vinograd (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0810941457 | ISBN-13: 978-0810941458 | Publication Date: March 2001

A generously illustrated introduction to 7,000 years of Chinese art - from Neolithic pottery and jade to contemporary video, installation and performance media. By placing the arts in context, the authors introduce a dynamic and continually evolving tradition, rather than a sequence of isolated museum masterpieces. Although chronological in sequence, it introduces relevant themes for each era that will deepen understanding of, and appreciation for, what the authors describe as 'the most abundantly productive, continuous artistic culture in the history of the world.'

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Boasting a history of 7,000 years and counting from Neolithic jade carving to contemporary video installation China may be the world's most "abundantly productive, staggeringly artistic continuous culture," according to the authors of Chinese Art & Culture. In presenting 230 b&w and 128 color illustrations, Robert L. Thorp, Washington University professor of art history and archeology, and Richard Ellis Vinograd (Boundaries of the Self: Chinese Portraits 1600-1900) devote admirable attention to social, political and economic contexts for Chinese work, examining, for example, the imperial ethos detected in an earthenware figure. The book's release coincides with an exhibit of 19th- and 20th-century Chinese painting at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, which should help call attention to it.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Telling the story of Chinese art in the context of Chinese history and culture, Thorp (history and archaeology, Washington Univ.) and Vinograd (art history, Stanford Univ.) give this handsomely illustrated book a graceful, unpretentious ease that will be rare and refreshing to readers of art history. The book draws on the insights and approaches of recent scholarship and discoveries to explore the essence of Chinese art, examining the reasons for its creation, its relationship to political and social development, its economic functions, and its connection to personal rituals. Taking in over 7000 years, from late Neolithic cultures to the 20th century, this book provides a fine introduction to Chinese art for students, historians, and art lovers. It is especially poignant in its examination of contemporary Chinese art from the vantage points of identity and community, two fundamental bases of life for the Chinese people. Highly recommended to all public and academic libraries. Lucia S. Chen, NYPL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 440 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810941457
• ISBN-13: 978-0810941458
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #996,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great survey on Chinese art!, March 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Chinese Art & Culture (Hardcover)

This is a great book for a serious survey of Chinese art and also for common readers interested in Chinese art and culture. The first six chapters by Robert Thorp deal with the period between the Neolithic and the Tang, and the rest of four chapters by Richard Vinograd cover from the Song to the 20th century. Both scholars offer succint yet comprehensive historical and cultural backgrounds, and also the images are discussed in terms of important concepts and themes in Chinese art, rather than traditional categories of architecture, sculpture, painting, and decorative arts. This approach works effectively in avoiding any imposition of the art historical concepts derived from European tradition, and also enable readers to be fully engaged in the subject. When comparing with other survey books on Chinese art, it takes a middle path between the traditional style of _Arts of China_ by Michael Sullivan and an intense and provoking style of _Art in China_ by Craig Clunas.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Used it for a non-major class, November 10, 2011

By 

sixspdmt (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chinese Art and Culture (Paperback)

This book is no different from what you'd typically get in a school bookstore. Except this one is much cheaper, due to the fact that it's been previously used. But it served its purpose. When the class ended, I sold it back to a local bookstore and made a couple $ in profit.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars concise synopsis of 3500 years of art, January 28, 2009

By 

Curious Dilettante (NYC, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chinese Art and Culture (Paperback)

If you need a concise synopsis of 3500 years of art.. this is it! Mind you, it's not 5 pages, and can't be used as a cheat sheet, but it gives an overview of the various art forms that characterize Chinese life.
It thoroughly fulfilled my purpose.