Autour des collections d'art en Chine au XVIIIe siècle

In this volume, art historians and sinologists discuss the question of art collecting in eighteenth-century China. Art collecting is an ancient practice in China, with specific means for acquiring, appreciating and exhibiting objects. Under the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), rich merchant families joined the traditional learned classes in the social elite, while imperial collections experienced a golden age. Through the study of art collecting, this conference examined eighteenth-century Chinese artistic and material culture, comparing it with previous eras. It also successfully brought together specialists from different cultural spheres, thus better integrating China into the field of general inquiry in art history.