Synopses & Reviews
The Chinese Art Book is a beautifully packaged, authoritative, and unprecedented overview of Chinese art from its earliest dynasties to the contemporary generation of artists enlivening today's art world. 300 works represent every form of Chinese visual art, including painting, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, figurines, jade, bronze, gold and silver, photography, video, installation, and performance art.
Full of surprises for readers of all levels, The Chinese Art Book breaks new ground by pairing works that speak to one another in unexpected ways, enlightening historical, stylistic and cultural connections. Concise descriptive essays place each work in context, while cross-references lead the reader on a fascinating journey through Chinese art history.
The Chinese Art Book features an introductory essay by Colin Mackenzie, Senior Curator of Chinese Art at the Nelson-Akins Museum of Art, along with an accessible summary of Chinese political and cultural history, a comprehensive glossary defining technical terms, and an illustrated timeline.
Review
A global tour of the greats. . . For those who don't know much about the subject, The Chinese Art Book is a perfect place to start. . . Open this book at almost any page and you'll find something to delight and surprise.--The Kansas City Star
Review
The timing of the publication of The Chinese Art Book is perfect. Teachers and students of Chinese art history will find this book easy to use. Here is one size that fits all - all kinds of plotlines, interpretations, and ways of experiencing artworks.--Eugene Wang, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Professor of Asian Art, Harvard University
Review
The art historians Colin Mackenzie, Keith Pratt, Jeffrey Moser and Katie Hill juxtapose works from distant eras in The Chinese Art Book, and the resulting echoes of pattern and image are at the very least suggestive.--The New York Times
Review
A stunning new compendium. . . a stellar survey of Chinese art that juxtaposes treasures from the earliest millennia to explosive new works by the contemporary avant-garde.--Town and Country
Review
A most unusual anthology that scrambles chronology to show expertly how themes and motifs have recurred in the arts of China, from the Neolithic to the 21st century.--The San Francisco Chronicle
Synopsis
The Chinese Art Book is a beautifully presented, authoritative and unprecedented overview of Chinese art. The book examines the art of the oldest continuous civilization on Earth through 300 works, from the (earliest dynasties) Neolithic period to the new generation of contemporary artists enlivening the global art world today. Every form of Chinese visual art is featured -including painting, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, figurines, jades, bronzes, gold and silver, photography, video, installation and performance art. Concise descriptive essays place each work in context, and cross-references lead the reader on a fascinating journey through Chinese art history.
The Chinese Art Book features an introductory essay by Colin Mackenzie, Senior Curator of Chinese Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, an accessible summary of Chinese political and cultural history, a comprehensive glossary defining technical terms, and an illustrated timeline.
Full of surprises for the reader new to Chinese art as well as for specialists, the book breaks new ground by pairing works that speak to one another in unexpected ways, enlightening historical, stylistic and cultural connections.
Currently, the market for Chinese art is one of the hottest and fastest growing in the world. The Chinese Art Book is the book that the global art community has been waiting for.
About the Author
Colin Mackenzie (Introduction) is Senior Curator of Chinese Art at the Nelson-Akins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri. Keith Pratt (painting and calligraphy to 1949) is Emeritus Professor of East Asian Studies at the University of Durham. Jeffrey Moser (plastic arts to 1949) is the Assistant Professor of East Asian Art History at McGill University. Katie Hill (contemporary art after 1949) is Director of the Office of Contemporary Chinese Art, Deputy Editor of the Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, and consultant lecturer at Sotheby's Institute of Art.