A Discourse of Originality in Late Ming Chinese Painting Criticism

Abstract

Late Ming painting critics promoted the discourse of originality in active exchange with literary, philosophical, societal and economic developments. Although this discourse was culturally pervasive, it was transparent, thus unidentified until recently. As this paper argues, a set of key terms signals the discourse. Important texts by late Ming critics newly translated here show how originality was advocated in judging artistic merit. The result is a new way to interpret the painting of early seventeenth‐century China.