SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

An Account of My Research on Romance of the Western Chamber and Beyond

Abstract

This talk will introduce my long-lasting study of the representation of Romance of the Western Chamber (or Story of the Western Wing, Xi Xiangji 西廂記) on Chinese works of visual art. Romance of the Western Chamber is one of the most popular and important literature as well as dramatic works in China. Through history, many artists and artisans had been inspired to use this theme in the creation of woodblock print illustrations and porcelain decorations.

Studies of the representation of Romance of the Western Chamber on Chinese woodblock prints of 18th century leads me to investigate the influence of French “fashion print” of late 17th century on Chinese art works and to explore the phenomenon of East-West cultural and artistic exchanges during the 18th century.

Speaker Biography

Professor Hsu Wen-Chin is the Dean of the Arts and Culture Department of the Open University of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She received her B. A. from the Chinese Department, National Taiwan University, her master’s degree in art history from the University of California, Berkeley, and her doctorate from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. She has been a lecturer at Hong Kong University and at Goldsmiths College, University of London. In addition, she has worked as a curator in the painting department of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Her publications include History of Art in Taiwan, Modern Art and Art Museum Studies, “Representation of Fictional Themes on Chinese Transitional Porcelain and Their Sources of Decoration”, “From Passion to Illusion: Woodblock Print Illustrations to Romance of the Western Chamber Published in the Ming Dynasty”, “ Illustrations of Romance of Western Chamber on Chinese Porcelain—Iconography, Style and Development”.