Visiting Scholar Scheme

HKBU Institute of Creativity Distinguished Visitor: Professor Ronald Egan

Published 2024-02-27

2024-02-27-1 2024-02-27-1

The Mr. Simon Suen and Mrs. Mary Suen Sino-Humanitas Institute is very honoured to invite Professor Ronald Egan, renowned American Sinologist and Stanford W. Ascherman, M.D. Professor of Sinology at Stanford University, to visit HKBU this March in the capacity of IoC Distinguished Visitor of HKBU. He conducted two public lectures to share his insights on the studies of classical Chinese literature and culture. Faculties, students and those who are interested in Chinese literature and culture are all welcome to participate. 

 

First Public Lecture: 從另一個角度重估蘇東坡
(Rethinking Su Dongpo from a New Perspective)

 

Organizers: HKBU Mr. Simon Suen and Mrs. Mary Suen Sino-Humanitas Institute, Institute of Creativity
Date: 8 March 2024, Friday
Time: 10:30am-12:00pm
Due to overwhelming responses, the Venue has been updated as: LT2 (C.S. Tse Lecture Theatre, SCT502), 5/F, Cha Chi-ming Science Tower, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Hong Kong Baptist University
Speaker: Prof. Ronald Egan (Stanford W. Ascherman, M.D. Professor of Sinology at Stanford University, IoC Distinguished Visitor of Hong Kong Baptist University)
Moderator: Prof. Zhang Hongsheng (Director of Mr. Simon Suen and Mrs. Mary Suen Sino-Humanitas Institute, Chair Professor of Department of Chinese Language and Literature, HKBU)
Language: Mandarin

Prof. Zhang Hongsheng (left), Director of the Institute presented his book Drifting with Clouds, Living by Poetry to Prof. Ronald Egan (right), the speaker. Prof. Zhang Hongsheng (left), Director of the Institute presented his book Drifting with Clouds, Living by Poetry to Prof. Ronald Egan (right), the speaker.
Prof. Zhang Hongsheng (left), Director of the Institute presented his book Drifting with Clouds, Living by Poetry to Prof. Ronald Egan (right), the speaker.

With the speaker Professor Egan's authorization, the video-recording of the lecture can be viewed at the HKBU Library website: https://hkbutube.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/inner.php?id=BTS-101143

 

Summary

本所十分榮幸邀請到美國著名漢學家史丹福大學艾朗諾教授分享題為「從另一個角度重估蘇東坡」的精彩講座。艾朗諾教授不僅帶領我們深入探討蘇東坡的作品及其在文學研究中的獨特地位，更重要的是，他指出儘管蘇東坡已被廣泛研究，看似不可能有新的發現，但新資源如全宋詩，全宋文數據庫和河北人民出版社2010年出版的《蘇軾全集校注》，為我們提供了重新審視這位偉大作家及其作品的新視角。艾朗諾教授的靈感源於他過去幾年準備蘇軾選本的大型翻譯項目，這一過程讓他深思如何閱讀和選擇蘇東坡的作品，即將不同體裁寫同一主題的作品綜合閱讀，以此觀看蘇東坡的多面性和複雜性。其次，講座中還探討了蘇東坡在不同文學形式上的貢獻，尤其是那些他後半生涉獵更為頻繁的文學地位較低的體裁，如「雜記」、「題跋」和「尺牘」等。這些過去可能被忽視的作品，實際上展現了蘇東坡廣泛的興趣和文學上的創新。艾朗諾教授指出，蘇東坡通過文體上的變化，來減少對政治題材的關注，這種轉變既有文學上的原因，也有其政治上的考量。整場講座向我們展示了對蘇東坡作品進行多維度解讀的重要性，以及採用更為靈活的閱讀和組織方法的益處。廣泛閱讀蘇東坡不同體裁的作品，並把它們放置在同一獨特的場合下分析，可以幫助我們深入了解蘇軾寫作的複雜性，進而更加欣賞他作為作家的特殊性和天才性。
(Recorded by Zhou Shaowen, research postgraduate of the Institute)

Many faculties and students of HKBU and other institutions participated in the lecture by Prof. Ronald Egan in person. Many faculties and students of HKBU and other institutions participated in the lecture by Prof. Ronald Egan in person.
Many faculties and students of HKBU and other institutions participated in the lecture by Prof. Ronald Egan in person.
Second Public Lecture: The Emergence of Composite Text-Image Art in Ming-Qing Period Painting

Organizers: HKBU Institute of Creativity, Department of Chinese Language and Literature, and Mr. Simon Suen and Mrs. Mary Suen Sino-Humanitas Institute
Date: 27 March 2024, Wednesday
Time: 10:30am-12:00pm
Venue: LT3 (Y C Cheng Lecture Theatre, SCT503), 5/F, Cha Chi-ming Science Tower, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Hong Kong Baptist University
Speaker: Prof. Ronald Egan (Stanford W. Ascherman, M.D. Professor of Sinology at Stanford University, IoC Distinguished Visitor of Hong Kong Baptist University)
Moderator: Prof. Lo Ming Tung (Head of Department of Chinese Language and Literature, HKBU)
Language: English

 

The speaker, Prof. Ronald Egan has agreed to make the video recording of the lecture available online. Please watch the video at the HKBU Library website: https://hkbutube.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/inner.php?id=BTS-101150

 

Summary:

艾朗諾教授是次講座以「明清時期的繪畫與題畫詩的互動」爲題，結合藏於北京故宮博物院、臺北故宮博物院、紐約大都會藝術博物館、廣東省博物館、浙江省博物館等地的明清畫作，探討這些藝術品中詩與畫之間的關係。

艾教授指出，這種詩與畫之間相結合的嘗試可追溯到晚唐時期詩人與畫家之間密切的社交往來，但由於晚唐時期留下的畫作十分少，我們很難通過衆多的個案來歸納其特點並辨析其概念。然而，明清時期的畫作留存足夠多，爲我們認識這一時期詩與畫的關係提供了充分的材料。

特別值得一提的是，明清時代的題畫詩出現了一種新的現象，那便是畫家本人在畫作上直接題詩，而不是由友人或是收藏家添上去的。與其他類型相比，畫家本人的題畫詩無疑更有意義。比如清代詩人兼畫家、書法家金農（1687-1763）就曾在其畫作〈荷塘憶舊圖〉中題有一首自度曲：「荷花開了，銀塘悄悄。新涼早，碧翅蜻蜓多少？  六六水窗通，扇底微風。記得那人同坐，纖手剝蓮蓬。」

但更有趣的是，不少畫家在這種「合成藝術品」上題寫的詩，往往不是畫家本人創作的，而是古人所作（尤其是唐人所作）的舊詩。例如明代盛茂曄便有著名的《唐詩意山水圖冊》，「鳥宿池邊樹，僧敲月下門」、「高樹曉還密，遠山晴更多」等唐詩名句便在這位明代畫家的筆下得到了詩境的重現。清代石濤（1642-1707）亦有《唐人詩意圖》，其中第八幅便題有王維的名作〈九日憶山東兄弟〉，並注明這幅畫是以宋代畫家范寬的筆法為範例畫成的。當然，李白、杜甫等人的名作也是明清畫作的重點取材對象。艾教授指出，這些藝術品中有時詩與畫作會呈現出相得益彰的效果，有時卻會出現一種微妙的抵觸關係。透過對明清時期繪畫與題畫詩之互動關係的考察，有助於我們認識文學與藝術之間的微妙互動。

(Recorded by Zhang Zixuan, research postgraduate of the Institute)

 

About the speaker

Ronald Egan is Stanford W. Ascherman, M.D. Professor of Sinology at Stanford University. He received his Ph.D. in Chinese literature from Harvard University, writing a dissertation on the early historical work Zuo zhuan. His research focuses on Chinese literature, aesthetics, and cultural history of the Tang-Song period. His publications include books on the literary works and lives of Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi, the latter entitled Word, Image, and Deed in the Life of Su Shi. He has also published a general study of innovations in Song dynasty aesthetic thought, entitled The Problem of Beauty: Aesthetic Thought and Pursuits in Northern Song Dynasty China, now available in a Chinese edition from Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing Company. He is also the translator of selected essays from Qian Zhongshu’s Guanzui biani, which appeared as Limited Views: Essays on Ideas and Letters by Qian Zhongshu. A recent study concerns the works and reception history of the great woman poet of the twelfth century, Li Qingzhao, entitled The Burden of Female Talent: The Poet Li Qingzhao and Her History in China, also now available in a Chinese edition from Shanghai Ancient Books. He previously taught at the Harvard University and the University of California at Santa Barbara. He formerly served as Executive Editor of the Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies and as President of the American Oriental Society.

 

The visiting scheme is sponsored by Hung Hin Shiu Charitable Foundation.