During the Ming and Qing periods in China, the effect of economic forces on artistic creation grew progressively, and artists of varied identities absorbed such forces differently. There was no concept of “the artist” in Chinese art history, and the painter and calligrapher, or more precisely the person who produces paintings and calligraphy, encompasses a wide range of social identities, such as the craftsman, the professional painter who lives on paintings, and the literati with or without the identity of official. As art historian James Cahill has suggested, artists tend to conform to certain social expectations in which they grew up with regard to the choice of creative subject and art style; artists with diverse identities dictated varying acceptances of external requirements in the painting trade. Because traditional China was an identity-oriented society, and artists’ behavior would be regulated by some potential norms derived from their long-term life practices.
This article will concentrate on how traditional Chinese artists with various identities accepted the demands for their work that arise from transactions, and whether artists with particular identities-literati- intentionally distance themselves from their identity as painters. My hope is that this study will not only provide a perspective on interpreting the artistic creation through the artist’s identity, but will also suggest a direction for further research on the commercial impact on traditional Chinese art.

Authors:
Yuqing Sun, Charles University, Czech Republic

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Yuqing Sun is a University Doctoral Student at Charles University in Czech Republic

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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