The Fall 2020 lecture series will be only available on-line as a Zoom webinar.

This study examines the transformation of reverse glass painting from an art of virtuosity to a vernacular form of art from the eighteenth century to the early twentieth century during Sino-European encounter. The vernacularization of reverse glass painting, Dr. Liu shall argue, reflected a consumption-driven reinvention of certain literary scenes or popular drama that highlighted the common value of plate glass as a diaphanous spectatorial plane. By examining the interrelationship among technique, medium, and genre, this talk reassesses the material agency and medial effect of clear plate glass which was used to support and spark the theatrical views.

Lihong Liu is Sally Michelson Davidson Assistant Professor of Chinese Arts and Cultures in the Department of the History of Art at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liu specializes in Chinese art history of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Her research focuses on time, matter, space, and motion in art, especially with regard to art’s environmental engagement. Liu earned her PhD in the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, she taught at the University of Rochester.

Zoom Registration Link: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mDik8MGCR1SxkXz3F_8hBw