Art of East Asia

The course overviews historical development of East Asian genres of music, theater and visual arts since early ages to the XX century. The arts genres are discussed in context with the aim of revealing their relations to predominant worldviews and social realities of civilizations. Most important objectives of the course is learning to consider art from comparative perspective and discuss on meaning and values of East Asian art.

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the historical development, aesthetics and worldview context of East Asian art traditions.

Knowledge of the history of East Asian civilisations.

Ancient Japanese art (Jomon to Kofun periods). Early Buddhist arts in Asuka and Nara periods. Development of aristocratic aesthetics from Heian through Momoyama periods. Japanese art and crafts in Edo period. Contemporary Japanese painting and architecture. Shang Mythic Art Shi Jing poetry and folklore Tang Dynasty Daoist literature Visual Imagery and Symbolism Modern Art, Cultural Revolution, Contemporary Artistry For the Korean part we will be studying different art areas (painting, ceramics, literature, music, Buddhist art, architecture) chronologically and talk about symbolism in Korean art and the tradition of art and the change of it. We also will look shortly into modern art and discuss differences between the western and Korean schools.

The ability to explain the East Asian region through the prism of art history; Define key terms in art history; Ability to collect the material needed for a written work; Ability to assess the characteristic features of East Asian art and their relevance in a contemporary context; Ability to complete assignments in accordance with deadlines and format.