| Ming dynasty artists (1368–1644) made numerous illustrations and transcriptions of Wei and An dynasty (220–420 C.E.) themes. Most of the historic events and literary themes were about or by literati who lived in the Jiangnan, and most of the Ming artists who painted them were natives of Jiangnan. Thus, we can read Ming works as expressions of pride in local literati cultural history.; Preferences among the themes and treatments of them changed over the Ming dynasty. Early-Ming artists (1368–1506) made straightforward, easily readable depictions of the Seven Sages, Ge Hong, Visit to Dai, The Orchid Pavilion Gathering, “Peach Blossom Spring,” and the public facets of the Tao Qian persona (Tao as drunk, Tao as famous poet, and Tao as recluse). Middle-Ming artists (1507–1560) strongly preferred The Orchid Pavilion, White Lotus Society, the contemplative or creative facet of the Tao Qian persona, and “Peach Blossom Spring,” and idealized both the figures and the settings in their depictions. Late-Ming artists (1560–1644) again used most of the themes, but varied their approaches to include documentary, allusive, and idiosyncratic treatments. Artists of all the periods alluded to pre-Ming paintings to create art historical rhetoric.; The social and political circumstances of the three periods varied considerably, as did the popularity of certain themes and the way of treating them. I argue that specific social currents influenced the artists' selections and interpretations of Wei-Jin themes, and that we can read their art as pictorial responses to the events that shaped their lives. In making this argument, I take into account artists' social standing (professional or scholar), examinations, and bureaucratic positions as these were affected by the broader currents of economics, blurring of social strata, and selected philosophical issues. By analyzing the selection and treatment of particular themes in specific contexts, we can identify added layers of social rhetoric. This approach reveals that middle-Ming artists and artists at the end of the dynasty used Wei-Jin illustrations and inscriptions to reflect on and idealize their own activities and unique circumstances. |
