Answer any one of the questions asked in the “Think About It” sections at the end of chapters 24 to 26 (they are listed below). Besides using your textbook, students are required to utilize at least one other outside scholarly source to answer their chosen question.
Length: At least 750 words, not counting citations or the title page.
Images: At least one image must be placed in the document, with a caption and citation or URL to its webpage.
Format: The title page should have a title that indicates the student’s own thesis, along with the student name, date and course name. The chosen “Think About It” question must be placed in quotation marks (” “) above the first paragraph of the essay with an in-text citation to its page number in the book.
Organization: The essay requires an introduction that indicates the student’s thesis statement; body paragraphs with one topic per paragraph; as well as a conclusion that sums up the main points.
Citation Style: APA.
Document Style: MS Word (.doc or .docx) or .rtf.
Grading Rubric
Content (Thesis, Argument, Logic, Organization): up to 75 possible points.
Use of Examples (noting material data): up to 10 possible points.
APA. Spelling, grammar and language usage: up to 10 possible points.
Image with caption, and citation/URL: up to 5 possible points.
TOTAL: 100 possible points.
Please post the paper here.
“Think About It” Questions [Choose one]:
Ch. 24
- Consider the Qutb Minar (fig. 24–4) and Fatehpur Sikri (fig. 24–8). Do these structures reveal differences in the way each kingdom viewed itself in relation to wider Indian culture? If so, explain how. Can similar differences be seen when comparing the Victoria Terminus and the Gateway of India? Explain.
- Great wealth is often required to build grand structures, and typically this wealth rests in the hands of rulers. Who were the patrons of the Luna Vasahi (fig. 24–3) and the gopuras at the temple in Madurai (fig. 24–7)? What does this tell us about the importance of trade and increased access to public displays of piety?
- The Emerald Buddha and the Seated Buddha from the reign of Jayavarman VII are both closely associated with royal power. Explain how each Buddhist image lends authority to the king; emphasize both similarities and differences between the two examples.
- Consider the paintings Jahangir and Shah Abbas (fig. 24–10) and Mother India (fig. 24–25). What are their political messages and to whom were these messages directed? Who would have seen these works?
Ch. 25:
- Discuss the place of Dong Qichang’s The Qingbian Mountains (fig. 25–12) within the history of Chinese landscape painting, drawing specific comparisons with works that came before and after it.
- Examine a work commissioned by the court at Beijing and distinguish which of its features are typical of court art.
- Characterize the culture of the literati, including their values and their art patronage.
- Theorize reasons for the emergence of individualist painting in China, using specific works to support your argument.
Ch. 26
- Discuss how the Japanese tea ceremony works and observe the role that art plays within it. Include the unique aesthetics of the tearoom and the artistic practices associated with the ceremony, making reference to at least one work from this chapter.
- Chose one woodblock print discussed in this chapter and explain how its subject matter represents the culture of the “floating world” in Edo.
- Reflect on the differences between the styles of artists from Kyoto and artists from Edo. How do they relate to the variations in the social status and cultural and intellectual interests of residents of these two cities? How would you fit the lacquer box by a Rinpa-school artist from Kyoto (fig. 26–10) and the kosode robe made in Edo (“Closer Look” on page 846) into your discussion?
- Chose one of the three Japanese works in this chapter from the period after World War II and evaluate how it draws from both traditional Japanese and foreign artistic practices. Is the larger debt to tradition or to innovation?