Chinese Visual Culture for the West (1700-1850)
Winnie Wong, Professor
Rhetoric
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
This is an ongoing historical research project on the visual culture produced by Chinese painters in Guangzhou, China, for European and American markets during the period of the Canton Trade (1700-1850). The project explores the intersection of art and science, art and plants, art and animals, and lesser known parts of Chinese art and Western art. Students will explore detailed intercultural exchanges archived in art and written documents, produced by Western scientists and Chinese painters.
Role: 1) Guided research on visual materials (especially of Chinese botanicals and birds) in museum collections, private collections, published and digital sources. 2) Guided research on primary materials in a variety of historical European-language sources (including memoirs, auctions, letters, travelogues, etc.). 3) Research in Cantonese dialect pronunciations, characters, and in modern and historical Chinese (Qing period) sources.
Qualifications: 3rd-year undergraduate with interest in art, biology, botany, ornithology, history, history of science, visual studies, or similar concentrations preferred. Reading and writing ability in Chinese. Knowledge of Cantonese or Fujianese dialects is desirable.
Hours: 3-5 hrs
Arts & Humanities