Although studies of graphics and visual representations in the history of science and technology appeared as early as 1939, with Alexandre Koyré's Etudes galiléennes, it was only in the 1960s that the subject became an established field. Following advances in cognitive psychology, anthropology, and the sociology of scientific knowledge, many have written about the use of images in the history of science. This massive and engaging volume, edited by sinologists Francesca Bray, Vera Dorofeeva-Lichtmann, and Georges Métailié, is an important addition to the literature. Devoted mainly to the study of Chinese graphic elements, the book examines their role in society, history, and culture. The volume's significance lies as much in its methodology as in its broad coverage.
