Julia K. Murray
Professor in the Department of Art History at University of Wisconsin-Madison
Visiting Professor in the Department of Art History at University of Chicago, Fall 2008
“Where Did the ‘Standard Portrait’ of Confucius Come From?”
When: Thursday, November 6, 4:30 PM
Where: CWAC 152 (Cochrane Woods Art Center)
Abstract:
Large sculptures of metal or stone that depict Confucius as a venerable elder have become a common sight in mainland China, as well as in other places around the globe. The first wave of statues appeared after a 1974 conference sponsored by the Taiwan government, which identified an image to promote as most representative of the ancient sage. However, early in 2006, the mainland’s China Confucius Foundation initiated a new effort to standardize the visual representation of Confucius, and its version was unveiled in Qufu that September. Both versions were based to a greater or lesser extent on a portrayal allegedly painted by the Tang artist Wu Daozi, which was well-known from rubbings. My presentation will trace the origins and evolution of this image and discuss its significance in a variety of historical contexts.
This event was co-sponsored by Literature and Cultural History of Pre-Modern East Asia workshop.
