Metamorphosis (n.): the process of transformation from one form or state to another, through natural or supernatural means.

Change is inherent to matter. Transformation is the key term through which artists and makers approach their work. What if we took a transformation-based approach to the study of works of art?

This course surveys the arts of late imperial China (c. 1500-1900) with a focus on the Qing period, through the lenses of material, media, and technology. Instead of regarding works of art as static and fixed in their cultural context, the course emphasizes the transformation, mobility and exchange of objects, images, and technologies. Topics include processes of craft production, arts of the Qing court, body transfigurations, and the global circulation of Chinese art. The course is broadly applicable to Art + Design majors, as well as students interested in the histories of art and technology, Asian studies, and ecological approaches to the study of art and culture.