Ranking Officials To The Cottage

The dissertation focuses on the painting of 'Cloudy Mountains' which is one of the popular genres in the history of Chinese landscape painting. Through the discussion of the meanings and functions of 'Cloudy Mountains', the thesis try to provide some new lights on our understanding of 'Cloudy Mountains'. The thesis focuses on the fourteenth century, and the core point is four folds:1, In the 14^th century, the 'Cloudy Mountains' started to become a popular painting style and genre. Painters of different identities were engaged in it.2, The most important viewers of 'Cloudy Mountains' in the 14^th century are the officials. They watch 'Cloudy Mountains' in the life out of official fairs. For the officials, the 'Cloudy Mountains' is the painting that could express the emotion of farewell for fellow officials, of filial piety for parents, and of retreat life in hometown.3, The reasons that 'Cloudy Mountains' could be endowed these meanings is closed related to the new way to the officialdom in 14^th century which is called jianju (recommendation). The Recommendation, not civil examination, make those hope to gain the official identity travel outside their hometown to make acquaintance with those powerful person. And more important, the moral quality and filial piety is the basic virtue for which a person could be recommended.4, By the middle of Ming, 'Cloudy Mountains' changed in meaning as well as function. 'Cloudy Mountains' is no longer the painting of officialdom. At this time, in Suzhou, a new understanding about 'Cloudy Mountains' is fostered. Due to the intimate historical relationship between Mi Fu, Mi Youren, whom are the creator of 'Cloudy Mountains', and Suzhou, the most important quality in painting 'Cloudy Mountains' is now the imitation of the classic style of two Mi. The 'Cloudy Mountains' became one of important fang 'gu styles in Chinese art history finally.