EAS195H1

Shan Shui Landscape: A Cultural Historical Study

This course looks into the history of cultural production of Chinese Shan Shui (lit., mountain and water) landscape representations from an environmental humanities perspective. As an artistic motif, Shan Shui travels between past and present and across various mediums as well as literary and artistic genres. What exactly are we invited to see and contemplate on in the Shan Shui? Are Shan Shui works about “nature,” spirit, Qi, or the human world? The course seeks to inquire into these and other questions through examining the concepts, arts, and transformations of selected Shan Shui works in imperial and contemporary China. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.