History of Chinese Architecture and the Art of Gardens and Landscape Architecture (15th-20th centuries)

My visit to Stanford provides an opportunity to develop collaborative research between Stanford and the Sorbonne in the field of Art History and Chinese Art studies. My research field is the history of Chinese architecture and the art of gardens and landscape architecture (15th-20th centuries). Related fields of interest include the study of landscape painting, interior design and the production and use of furniture. The focus of my research is to study how interior space and gardens interact. In China, as in other parts of the world, architectural space has played an essential part in shaping society. However, gardens do not constitute a separate place but, with their sinuous lines and apparently irregular design, balance and complement more geometrically-arranged buildings and courtyards. Crucial places are the “margins” where interior and exterior, public and private meet. To study how these spaces were represented and how they were actually used in the past, images of architecture, interiors and gardens in Chinese paintings and printed images are an important source. Visiting Stanford would allow me to access the collection of rare Chinese printed books at the Stanford East Asia Library, including 17th and 18th Century woodblock-print illustrations in novels and illustrated encyclopedias.