The sixth century in China witnessed a burst of unconventional forms of stone inscriptions, especially those carved on rocks and cliffs, which transformed natural landscapes into dramatic verbal-visual monuments. Focusing on Epitaph for a Crane, a legendary inscriptional monument that has fascinated and puzzled viewers for more than a millennium, Prof. Xue will discuss the political, religious, and artistic significance embedded in the “epitaph” to reveal how stone inscriptions have been valued as works of calligraphy--the most revered of all the arts in China.
Prof. Xue’s primary research interest is the intersection of pre-modern Chinese visual and literary arts within a socio-political structure. His current research focuses on the history of Chinese calligraphy. His manuscript “Elusive Crane: Yi he ming and the Culture of Chinese Calligraphy,” explores inscribed stone monuments in medieval China. Specifically, it examines the complex relationship between text and image, materiality and spatiality, and how these ancient works shaped later artistic taste and visions.
Sponsored by the UO Confucius Institute
