Semester:
Fall
Offered:
2023
Eugene Wang
What is it that makes both the cosmos and us? Qi, loosely glossed as “vital energy,” is the Chinese answer. Commonly evoked in medicine, therapeutic care of mind and body, as well as martial arts, it actually underpins a wider spectrum of cultural spheres, not least among them, pictorial and plastic arts. This course introduces students to key concepts of the qi-engendered system and its manifestations in Chinese art throughout history. Case studies of qi-related artworks and their contexts are keyed to close inspection of art objects in Harvard Art Museums.