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ARTH 271 - Art of China: Home

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Welcome to the Research Guide for ARTH 271: Art of China

Panel with Boys at Play, late 16th-early 17th century, silk and metal thread tapestry. Ming Dynasty. Via the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Required Reading

Get Started

Just getting started? These academic art dictionary and encyclopedias are great sources for trustworthy information when first researching an artist, a medium, or a time period. 

Analyze a Work Of Art

When analyzing a work of art, it's helpful to develop and apply a list of relevant questions. Consider:

  • Subject matter - What is being depicted? (May require researching a related place, figure or event - e.g. from religion or mythology)
  • Material and form - What is the size, shape, line, texture, color, etc.? How do these affect the way you "see" the subject?
  • Social and historical contexts - When, where, and why was the work made?
  • What were the artist's intentions (if known)?

Barnet's A Short Guide to Writing About Art provides many useful examples of analytical questions and is a required/recommended text for most Art History courses.

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