Synopses & Reviews
"From the Neolithic to the avant-garde, and through all the brilliant centuries in between, Michael Sullivan's newly revised introduction to Chinese art history is unmatched in its clarity, balance, and sure grasp of the subject. Whether for the classroom student or the casual reader, its remarkable range and elegant style make this book a wonderful way for anyone to begin learning about Chinese art." and#151;Jerome Silbergeld, Professor of Art History, University of Washington, and author of
Chinese Painting Style"A concise, comprehensive, and highly readable overview of Chinese art extending from its Neolithic roots down to its modern engagement with the West."and#151;Maxwell Hearn, Curator of Chinese Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and author of Splendors of Imperial China
"I have used this text in my class for thirty years. With full revisions and additions reflecting recent archaeology and art historical scholarship, the fourth edition will continue to be the best one-volume history of Chinese art in the English language. No other historian of Chinese art today commands such a wide range of knowledge as Michael Sullivan."and#151;Richard Barnhart, John M. Schiff Professor of the History of Art, Yale University, and editor of Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting
"This is the most comprehensive study of Chinese art, giving up-to-date information from the Stone Age to the twentieth century. Professor Michael Sullivan is a leading scholar in this field, and this is an indispensable textbook for all students of Asian art history." and#151;Wang Qingli, Professor of Chinese Art History, University of Hong Kong, and author of A History of Nineteenth-Century Chinese Art
Review
"[Sullivan] writes clearly and fluidly . . . making interpretive connections to Western counterparts, offering fascinating insights into the Chinese mind."--Naea News
Synopsis
Sullivan has thoroughly revised this classic history of Chinese art which covers the period from Neolithic times to the 1990s. 224 photos. 164 color illustrations. 14 maps.
Synopsis
For the fourth edition of his much-heralded
The Arts of China, last published in 1984, Michael Sullivan has thoroughly revised and expanded this classic history of Chinese art from the Neolithic period to the 1990s. He draws on archaeological discoveries in the last two decades of the twentieth century that have enriched scholars' understanding of both prehistoric and ancient Chinese civilizations. At the same time, research on more recent dynasties has led to fresh interpretations of well-documented historical events and artworks. Also, China's dramatic opening to the outside world since the 1980s has triggered an explosion of contemporary Chinese art, on which Sullivan is the foremost Western authority.
Written in the engaging and lucid style that is Sullivan's hallmark, The Arts of China is readily accessible to general readers as well as serious students of art history. Discussing more than three millennia of Chinese artistic endeavor, Sullivan introduces not only artworks, but also the social, political, religious, and philosophical contexts in which they were created.
This fourth edition has more than 380 illustrations; many are new and nearly half are in color. With this edition Sullivan has abandoned the Wade-Giles system of romanization in favor of the official Chinese Pinyin, now widely accepted by Western readers. These improvements assure that The Arts of China will remain the most comprehensive and widely read introduction to the history of Chinese art.
Synopsis
"From the Neolithic to the avant-garde, and through all the brilliant centuries in between, Michael Sullivan's introduction to Chinese art history is the classic in its field, unsurpassed in its clarity, balance, and sure grasp of the subject. Whether for the classroom student or the casual reader, its remarkable range and elegant style make this book a wonderful way for anyone to begin learning about Chinese art."--Jerome Silbergeld, Princeton University
"I have used Sullivan's Arts of China in my class for thirty years. No other historian of Chinese art today commands such a wide range of knowledge as Michael Sullivan."--Richard Barnhart, Yale University, editor of Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting
"After more than forty years since its first publication, Michael Sullivan's Arts of China, now in its fifth edition, remains the most concise yet most comprehensive introduction to the history of Chinese art to students and the public."--Wu Hung, Harrie A. Vanderstappen Distinguished Service Professor, University of Chicago
"Michael Sullivan is the acknowledged dean of modern Chinese art studies, and any work bearing his name guarantees both a high level of quality and a wide readership."--Maxwell K. Hearn, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Synopsis
For the fifth edition of his internationally renowned
The Arts of China, Michael Sullivan has thoroughly revised and expanded every chapter of this classic history of Chinese art from the Neolithic period to the present day. This new edition reflects the latest archaeological discoveries, pays greater attention to the art of calligraphy, provides more information on Chan (Zen) art, and takes a close look at contemporary art. New images have been added to almost every chapter: the work now features more than four hundred photographs, maps, and illustrations, with more than two-thirds of them in full color.
Written in the engaging and lucid style that is Sullivan's hallmark, The Arts of China is readily accessible to general readers as well as serious students of art history. Sullivan's approach remains true to the way the Chinese themselves view art, providing readers with a sense of the sweep of history through China's dynasties. This organizational strategy makes it easy for readers to understand the distinct characteristics of each period of art and to gain a clearer view of how Chinese art has changed in relation to its historical context. With many improvements that bring it fully up to date, The Arts of China will remain the most comprehensive and widely read introduction to the history of Chinese art.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 311-315) and index.
About the Author
Michael Sullivan is Fellow Emeritus at St. Catherine's College, Oxford University. His many books include Art and Artists of Twentieth-Century China (California, 1996) and The Meeting of Eastern and Western Art: Revised and Expanded Edition (California, 1997). Michael Sullivan has received honors and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation. He lives in Oxford, England.
Table of Contents
List of Maps and Illustrations
Preface to the Fourth Edition
Chronological Table of Dynasties
Reign Periods of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
1. Before the Dawn of History
2. The Shang Dynasty
3. The Zhou Dynasty
4. The Period of the Warring States
5. The Qin and Han Dynasties
6. The Three Kingdoms and the Six Dynasties
7. The Sui and Tang Dynasties
8. The Five Dynasties and the Song Dynasty
9. The Yuan Dynasty
10. The Ming Dynasty
11. The Qing Dynasty
12. The Twentieth Century
Notes
Books for Reference and Further Reading
Index