Western and Chinese Art: Masters and Classics

Throughout human history, art has served as a window into current events, traditions, societies and culture. And, Chinese and Western civilizations have produced some of the most famous artworks by world-renowned artists.

This course will examine Western and Chinese art, artists and history. Through exploring immortal works of art, this course will help learners gain insight into our shared history and better understand culture, both past and present.

From an interdisciplinary perspective of art history, aesthetics, intellectual history and cultural history, we will explore spiritual and cultural questions such as “where are we from” and “what is humanity.” The course will present a general overview of Chinese art and Western art, focusing on major works with special attention paid to the comparison between China and the West and between tradition and modernity.

In this course, learners will develop a systematic knowledge of Western and Chinese art history, its artists and aesthetic theories. Students will develop aesthetic judgment, appreciation and a knowledge of humanities, and cultivate their artistic tastes.

Join us as we survey renowned Chinese and Western artists and deepen our understanding and appreciation of art, history and culture.

Throughout our 15 weeks together, we will cover the following: A Survey of Art: Subjects and Methodology Dawn of Icons: Masterpieces by Anonymous Masters Aesthetics of Mythological Creation: From Homer to Phidias Majesty and Divinity: From Bronzes to Han Dynasty Stone Carvings Grief and Transcendence: Wang Xizhi and Gu Kaizhi Unrestrained-ness and unconventional-ness: Zhang Xu and Wu Daozi The Divine Human Body: Giotto and Jan van Eyck Divinity of the Human Body: From da Vinci to Titian Nature and Human Nature: Rubens, Poussin and Rembrandt Verve and Character: From Wang Wei to Ni Zan Personality and Love for Ridicule: Xu Wei the Lunatic Transition of Classicism: From David to Courbet Wilderness of Passion: Constable and Turner Experience and Contemplation: Van Gogh and Cézanne Boundless Art: From Marcel Duchamp to Andy Warhol