Heping Liu

Associate Professor of Art

Contact
Phone:
+1 (781) 283-3371
Email:
hliu@wellesley.edu
Department
Art
Art History
East Asian Studies

Asian art historian and specialist in Chinese painting of the Song dynasty (960-1279).

Heping Liu
Can you hear it?
The sound of silence
in nature
in words
in images
What does it mean?
The ancient philosopher says—
the virtuous finds delight
in mountains
the wise finds delight
in the waters
Do you hear it?
The sound of silence
like a raindrop
falling
into the sea

My research focuses on the intersections of art, literature, environment, science and technology. It has been recognized with a number of awards, including a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and an American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship.

In addition to a team-taught introduction to the history of art, I offer eight other courses: Asian Art and Architecture; Japanese Art and Architecture; Chinese Art and Architecture; Chinese Painting: Theories, Principles and Practices; 20th Century Chinese Art; Poetic Painting in China, Korea and Japan (seminar); the Landscape Painting of China, Korea and Japan (seminar); and the Song Imperial Painting Academy (seminar). One of my most gratifying experiences is to make students experience works of art first-hand through object-viewing sessions, hands-on workshops, class visits to the Davis Museum, and field trips to major museums in the Boston-New York area.
My selected scholarly publications are available at: https://wellesley.academia.edu/HepingLiu

Education

  • B.A., Guangzhou Institute of Foreign Languages
  • M.A., Southern Methodist University
  • M.A., Yale University
  • M.Phil, Yale University
  • Ph.D., Yale University

Current and upcoming courses

Chinese Painting: Theories, Masters, and Principles

ARTH248

This course examines Chinese painting from early times to the turn of the twentieth century. It serves as an introduction to theories, masters, and principles in the practice of Chinese painting. Issues of investigation include major themes, techniques, connoisseurship, and functions of Chinese painting. Special attention is given to (1) imperial patronage, (2) the triangle relationship between painting, calligraphy, and poetry, (3) the tension between representation and expression, (4) between professional and literati, (5) between tradition and creativity, and (6) the impact of the West. Trips to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and other museums. 

More Info

  • Japanese Art and Architecture

    ARTH249

    This course is a survey of the rich visual arts of Japan from the Neolithic period to the turn of the twentieth century with emphasis on architecture, sculpture, painting, ceramics, and ukiyoe. It examines Japan's close ties to India, China, and Korea and explores the development of a distinct Japanese artistic style and national identity. Special attention is given to the sociopolitical forces, cultural exchanges, religious thoughts, intellectual discourses, and commercial activities that shaped the representation and expression of these arts.

  • The Power of Images: An Introduction to Art and its Histories

    ARTH100

    Art matters. Because images, buildings, and environments shape our ways of understanding our world and ourselves, learning how to look closely and analyze what you see is a fundamental life skill. Within a global frame, this course provides an introduction to art and its histories through a series of case studies from the ancient world to the present day. Through the case studies, we will explore concepts of gender and race, cultural appropriation, political propaganda, materials and media, questions of cultural ownership and repatriation, and other historical issues relevant to our current art world.  Site visits and assignments will engage with the rich art and architectural resources of Wellesley's campus.