Art in China (Oxford History of Art) (Paperback)

by Craig Clunas (Author) "The way in which different meanings have been read into Chinese art objects at different periods is brought out very precisely in a jade tablet,..." (more)
Key Phrases: engraved calligraphy, drafting script, dynasty painter, Southern Song, Northern Song, Wang Hui (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
These two current overviews of Chinese art take very different approaches. Keeper of the Department of Eastern Art at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Tregear offers a chronologically organized work that covers its topic in brief survey form, using representative examples of bronzes, painting, laquerware, ceramics, jade, and stone carving. The book is so brief and the sweep is so broad that a reader not already familiar with the general outline of Chinese history and common Chinese terms may have trouble forming a coherent picture, particularly in regard to the earliest centuries covered. Significantly, Tregear leaves out the important find of a cache of figures at Shanxingdui in 1986, which has been of enormous importance in broadening the known range of cultures in ancient China. On the other hand, she provides an excellent section on 20th-century Chinese art, an area neglected by many of the standard histories. Clunas's (history of art, Univ. of Sussex) approach, by contrast, involves a more critical, theoretical inquiry into Western notions of Chinese art. He eschews a chronological arrangement in favor of thematic chapters on art at court, in the tomb, in the temple, in the life of the elite, and in the marketplace. He makes a point of including objects that have been considered masterpieces intermixed with other less well-known works. He is concerned throughout his text with issues of the historical place of art in Chinese society and with how that society evaluated various objects. The finds at Shanxingdui are mentioned, and some attention is paid to 20th-century work, though not as much in Tregear's survey. Both of these titles have merits as overviews of Chinese art and both could be used by students as well as interested lay readers. If your library can afford only one work, Clunas's is the more up-to-date, both in approach to its material and in selection of works to discuss.?Kathryn Wekselman, Univ. of Cincinnati Lib., Ohio
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
`Elegantly designed, lavishly illustated and keenly priced ... their series has a clear intellectual agenda.' Boyd Tonkin, The Independent

`Fully and often surprisingly illustrated, carefully annotated and captioned, each combines a historical overview with a nicely opinionated individual approach.' Independent on Sunday

`a superb piece of publishing' Rupert Christiansen, Spectator

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1st Published edition (May 8, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192842072
• ISBN-13: 978-0192842077
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #501,006 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Currently the best short introduction to art in China, January 19, 2002

By A Customer

While not the easiest to read, Clunas's book is currently the best short modest-sized introduction to art in China. The title "Art in China" (not "Chinese Art") is intentional, for Clunas is one of the rare Occidental authors on this subject who transcend the limitations of their background and succeed in communicating some of the subtlety and complexity of the subject, so remote from Western tastes, but no less beautiful and profound.

For example, he points out that while Western art has concentrated on painting, calligraphy is the most esteemed art form in China. Furthermore, from its earliest beginnings, Chinese aesthetics has placed little emphasis on illusionism and perspective, even regarding these as juvenile and distracting from artistic self-expression. (In this respect, the Chinese anticipated "modern art theory" by centuries.) The very term "Chinese Art", he maintains, is a Western invention, since the art work in China was, until recently, never divorced from its political, religious or decorative functions. (That is to say, it was not "museum art" isolated from its context and consciously regarded as art.) Because of these characteristics, art in China has been little appreciated in the West.

Clunas's probing book should be read slowly-- and re-read. The illuminating text gives a relatively sophisticated and sympathetic account of art in China, unlike many books, which are simply naive, provincial and as full of trivial dates and abstractions as they are lacking in insight. The representative works, drawn from all periods of Chinese history--including modern times--are superb and well chosen, and the pictures are excellent, considering the book's modest size. I especially enjoy the full-page color reproduction of Guo Xi's masterpiece "Early Spring" which equals, if not surpasses, the finest landscape paintings of the Dutch golden age (of course, not in illusionist technique, but in sheer expressive and evocative power as it unveils a mysterious fantastic landscape reflecting an interior, as much as an exterior, reality).

My only complaint is that there is only one book on "Art in China" in the Oxford History of Art series, while there are at least 30 on Western art in the same series. One book covers Western art for a 25-year span (1920-45), but 5,000 years of high art in China--in painting, jade, ceramics, lacquer, porcelain, calligraphy and sculpture--gets only a single volume! Talk about provincialism! Certainly, this is no fault of Dr. Clunas, whose work seems all the more commendable in the midst of the naive insularity and ethnocentrism with which it has unfortunately been grouped.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable introduction to "art" in China, August 13, 1997

By	Tzu-Hsien Sang [e-mail] (Ann Arbor) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art in China (Oxford History of Art) (Hardcover)

Reading Clunas' book is a refreshing experience forme. It surveys an amazingly broad spectrum of visual representations of Chinese culture, ranging from archaeological findings in ancient tombs to the works of comtemporary artists. And yet Clunas managed to keep the size of the book under control so that you can enjoy finishing it in a couple of days. Thus it serves well as a starting point for anyone who is interested in Chinese art to explore this vast territory. In doing so Clunas represents a common trend in the scholarly field of Chinese study for the last several decades. A big difference from other classical introductory books on Chinese art is that Clunas is more self-conscious and tries harder to avoid measuring Chinese culture completely by a Western ruler. Despite sometimes he offers opinions, which can only be regarded as conjectures because of the lack of solid evidences, about certain cultrual phenomena, he keeps an open-minded attitude and thus encourages reader to form their own theories. Two minor flaws prevent me giving it a 10. One is that it deosn't have a glossray for translation between English and Chinese, which I think is very useful, considering this book may well be very intresting to the students who are learning Chinese. And it fails to provide immediate references where several intriguing open questions are mentioned in the text. This may hamper interested readers to start their own research right away

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT!!, January 14, 2002

By	Susan Tyree (Orlando, Fl USA) - See all my reviews

In researching information regarding Sung Dynasty scrolls and artists, I found this book to be a most generous indeed. The author provides clear, precise information without the clutter of person guesses. He provides a wonderful assortment of pictures and resources. Clear, clean photographs of artifacts providing the reader with primary documentation .This is a MUST for anyone studying the Arts and Artists of early China. Thank you Craig Clunas!