Chapter 6
The Language of Portraiture in China
Dora C. Y. Ching,
Dora C. Y. Ching
Search for more papers by this authorDora C. Y. Ching,
Dora C. Y. Ching
Search for more papers by this authorBook Editor(s):Martin J. Powers,
Katherine R. Tsiang,
Martin J. Powers
Search for more papers by this authorKatherine R. Tsiang
Search for more papers by this authorSummary
As in many cultures, the production of images or portraits of individuals figures prominently in the visual record of China. This chapter presents an analysis of the wide-ranging spectrum of portraiture-including meticulously painted colorful portraits by unnamed artists or artisans, highly individualized self-portraits, and generic-looking woodblock prints among others-provides a comprehensive view of the practice of portrait making in China and, by extension, situates the genre of portraiture within the broader history of art as a whole. Scholarly practice in Chinese studies parallels that in the field of Western art history generally. The chapter addresses art in imperial China and folk and court portraits, presenting them as different points along a larger spectrum of what, for analytical reasons, one can call portraiture. The chapter also presents an overview of early historical development portraiture in China.
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