Aspects of Text-Image relations in Representations of Buddhist Narratives: With Selected Case Studies from China

Prof. Christoph Anderl (Ghent)

Abstract

The transmission of Buddhist narratives from India/Central Asia to China was a process of high complexity. Popular Buddhist stories frequently existed in a variety of visual and textual forms/versions when they arrived in China, and underwent further transformations there. In this lecture, I will try to give an overview concerning the strategies how text and image representations of Buddhist narratives were adapted and integrated in iconographic programs.

Bio

Christoph Anderl is currently Professor of Chinese Language and Culture at Ghent University. His research interests include the syntax of Medieval Chinese, as well as various aspects concerning the relation between religion and language, with an emphasis on medieval Buddhist texts. The lecture is based on the research conducted in the framework of a collaborative and interdisciplinary project on text-image relations in India, Central Asia, and China, conducted at Ruhr University Bochum from 2010-2013. Currently, Anderl is working on a book on the Dynamics of Text Corpora and Image Programs (with Jessie Pons), as well as several publications on Chinese historical syntax (for recent publications, please consult https://ugent.academia.edu/ChristophAnderl).