Art History at the Library

The Mongol Footprint: Arts of Conquest

The Mongol Empire (1206-1368) grew from a group of nomadic tribes to the largest land empire in world history. Its expansion saw a renewed blossoming of Silk Road trade and cross-cultural conversation across Eurasia. We'll look closely at the artistic dialogues spurred by Mongol expansion and the cultural developments associated with their conquests, from blue-and-white porcelain to folios from an Ilkhanid Shahnama.

About Weili Jin

Weili Jin has been passionate about the history of art ever since first seeing Botticelli in the second grade. Ten years later, he continues to specialize in the paintings of Renaissance Florence, particularly the patronage of the Medici. Most recently, he has worked to develop the YouTube channel “Narrative Art History,” a lecture series that contextualizes Renaissance art in a continuous, chronological narrative.

For more information about The Close Looking Project initiative, visit https://closelooking.org/.