The Art and Material Worlds of Hongloumeng with Ellen Huang

Hongloumeng (“red chamber dream”) is the Chinese title of this classic 18th century novel. Coinciding with SF Opera's production of Dream of the Red Chamber, this talk will present the history of art and material 'life' in the novel. The Dream of the Red Chamber features a lavish world of jade, embroideries, celadon, stoneware, porcelains, and other genres of material objects. Drawing upon examples in the AAM's collection and other museums, the speaker will explore how the art historical concerns about authenticity of the medium shed light on broader historical themes of illusion and temporality at the apex of the Qing Dynasty in the 18th century.

Ellen Huang is a PhD from the University of California and a historian of material culture and technology. She has published broadly and is teaching at UC Berkeley. She is currently working on a book about the history of materiality through examples of Jingdezhen porcelain. Her curatorial experience includes working at the Stanford University Museum. She is passionate about the intersection of technology and art.