This seminar offers a broad introduction to the history of Chinese painting, covering the most significant developments during the imperial period (roughly 2nd century BCE to 20th century CE). Through visits to the Metropolitan Museum, we will use Chinese painting to hone the skill of slow looking—a method of intentional, de-accelerated observation that will allow us to rethink the value of speed in art historical analysis. In addition to this, we’ll also investigate the ways in which practices of looking have shaped the study of Chinese painting historically, examining how early and recent scholarship has used the observation of artworks to generate its questions and interpretations. At the end of the semester, students will be asked to develop their own research projects based on the methods explored in the course.