Pictorial Naturalism and “Truth”:
Contextualizing the Eleventh-century Luohan Sculptures
of Lingyan Temple in China 
Rebecca Bieberly, PhD 
2 April, 2022
​9:30 am - 11:00 am, PT
In mid-eleventh century China, an educated and arts-savvy public began to question the “truth” of pictorial naturalism. During those very same years, Lingyan temple 靈巖寺 in Shandong province installed within its Qianfo hall a sculptural set of 27 Buddhist monastic figures. Identified since the thirteenth century as luohan 羅漢, these nearly life-size and highly naturalistic sculptures provide a lens through which to explore a key term in the debates surrounding pictorial imagery in the Song dynasty (960-1279)—“true” 真.  Bringing together arts writings and monastic literature of the period, come with First Saturday PDX  in this talk as Dr. Rebecca Bieberly re-considers the roles of religious imagery within the arts discourse of premodern China. ​
​About the speaker:
Rebecca Bieberly received her BA from Portland State University and her MA and PhD in the History of Art from the University of Michigan. She has worked with the University of Michigan Museum of Art and the Detroit Institute of Arts and has published on early modern print culture in China. She is currently teaching at Portland State University and working on a manuscript about the Song-era luohan sculptures at Lingyan temple in Shandong province, China. 
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Video of this presentation can be seen here

​Join us after the webinar from 11 - 11:30am in our First Saturday PDX Tea House to further the discussion and online social time.  Bring your cup of tea! 
​(Separate  access link for this will be provided in your single registration for this event.)
This presentation is offered via Zoom Webinar:
  • Join from computer, tablet, or smartphone. ​
  • Register here and receive links to join the webinar and Tea House in the same registration confirmation email.
  • See our Zoom page for information on how to connect to the event.  
Our program series is supported by Portland State University's Institute for Asian Studies, Northwest China Council and Lan Su Chinese Garden.   All our programs are free and open to the public.