Art, Culture, and Society in Ming China

In this course we will explore China during the Great Ming (1368-1644), a period of remarkable transformation on all levels of society. Through discussions of visual and material culture, patterns of social life, and political and economic developments, we will consider topics such as the evolution of painting and the emergence of a historiographical art; printing, communication, and regionalism; landscape, from agricultural land to gardens; travel, famous sites, and collective memory; commerce, consumerism, and anxieties of class; war, the Ming-Qing transition, and dynastic memory; and others. Readings will draw from art history, history, and cultural geography, as well as from primary sources. 3 hrs. lect.