Amazon.com
This book is a rare feat: seldom is an art history--much less an ambitious, 400-page chronicle of one of the great cultural achievements of the last three millennia--as much a delight for the amateur lover of art as it is indispensable for the student of the field. Written by three eminent specialists in the United States and three in China, Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting combines the best of both countries' scholarly approaches with new discoveries and illustrations of numerous paintings located in China and previously little known abroad.

Insightful, often lively discussions tell the story in six chapters, mostly dynastic, after briefly giving two "approaches" to Chinese painting. History, politics, biography, and training get their proper due and are complemented by often-detailed analyses of individual artworks. Close attention to the text and the 300 color and 25 black-and-white illustrations enable the reader to "see" these paintings--which are often constructed on different perceptual and cultural premises than the post-Renaissance and photographic images by which most Westerners structure their visual vocabulary. The glossary and other tools are welcome aids; the list of artists is organized by period and offers their names in the two most common romanization systems as well as in Chinese characters. And to read James Cahill on the Ni Zan paintings that may at first appear uninviting, or Lang Shaojun on the proportionally numerous 20th-century painters, is a real adventure for both the eye and the mind.

Anyone with more than a passing interest in one of the world's most esteemed art traditions--be they a Sunday museumgoer or a confirmed lover of the gnarly pines set amidst the towering mountains of the Song-period masters--will want this book in their library. --Joseph N. Newland

From the Back Cover
"This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date single volume account of Chinese painting from prehistoric times to the present. For some time to come it will be an indispensable work for students and the general reader who wish to gain an in-depth knowledge of Chinese painting." -James Watt

Winner of the 1997 Hawkins Award from the Arts Category given by the Association of American Publishers, Inc., Professional Scholarly Publishing Division --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Publisher
Published in association with Foreign Languages Press, Beijing

The Culture and Civilization of China Series --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author
Richard M. Barnhart is John M. Schiff Professor Emeritus of Art History at Yale University. James Cahill is professor emeritus of the history of art at the University of California, Berkeley. Wu Hung is Harrie A. Vanderstappen Distinguished Service Professor in Chinese Art History at the University of Chicago. Yang Xin is former deputy director and research fellow at the Palace Museum, Beijing. Nie Chongzheng is research fellow at the Palace Museum, Beijing. Lang Shaojun is director of the Fine Arts Research Laboratory at the Institute of Fine Arts, Chinese Academy of Arts, Beijing. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Keywords: Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting (The Culture & Civilization of China), Books, Richard M. Barnhart, Nie Chongzheng, Lang Shaojun, James Cahill, History - General, Painting, Chinese, Chinese painting, Painting, Art & Art Instruction, Art, History - Asian, Painting - General