The Study Of Royal Clan Painters In The Ming Dynasty

The Ming clan exerted a significant influence on all aspects of Ming politics,economy,military,and culture,and holds a distinct position in the history of clans.The feudal system that was instituted at the onset of the Ming Dynasty accorded the princes with elevated political and military privileges,thereby establishing the prominent position of the Ming clan.The princes enjoyed a vast number of royal guards,which enabled them to lead troops in wars,and they also wielded the power to control the chief secretary at the local level.However,the clan ban policy that was introduced during the Yongle dynasty greatly diminished the political and military privileges of the clans.This curtailed their ability to make a mark in politics,and forced some of them to redirect their aspirations towards culture and art.Consequently,a Ming clan family of art and literature emerged.During the Ming Dynasty,the clansmen were present throughout the country and utilized their unique status to impact the development of culture and art in their respective fiefdoms,and even the country as a whole.Moreover,Ming clan painters had a subtle influence on the development of painting during the Ming Dynasty,primarily in four areas: first,the guiding role of Ming aesthetics;second,their contribution to the cultivation of local painting talent;third,their promotion of the exchange of fiefdom painting art;and fourth,their provision of livelihood for some fiefdom painters.Furthermore,some Ming clan painters utilized their considerable economic power and cultural resources to publish a number of painting books.Some of these books hold significant historical value in terms of both text and images,and their compilation style has been used as a reference for later works on the history of painting.Despite this,current research on the Ming clan painters is largely limited to overview and identification,with no systematic study on the painters and their art.As a result,there remains a significant academic potential for the study of Ming clan painters.Through extensive research of historical materials such as works on the history of Ming and Qing dynasty paintings,local chronicles,literati collections,inscriptions,and heirloom paintings of the Ming clan,the author identified 141 Ming clan painters.The research revealed that the Ming clan painters exhibited distinctive characteristics in terms of time distribution,clan distribution,and painting subject distribution.In terms of temporal distribution,Ming dynasty painters underwent a developmental trajectory that encompasses incipient stages of development,flourishing periods,and eventual decline.This trajectory is reflective of the changing political status of the Ming dynasty and coincides with the stages of development of Ming painting.Regarding the distribution of the clan and the painting section,Ming dynasty painters display a range of distinct characteristics that are closely linked to the possessions and experiences unique to each clan.However,after Yongle’s reduction of the clan,the court’s policies towards the clan became excessively strict in order to prevent suspicion.This dramatic imbalance of power and position also fostered a diverse mentality among clan members,characterized by resentment,rebellion,or retreat to avoid disaster.These mentalities,in turn,had an impact on the painting creations of Ming clan painters.Furthermore,the aforementioned imbalance of power and position among the clan members fostered diverse mentalities characterized by resentment,rebellion,or retreat to avoid disaster,all of which had an impact on the painting creations of Ming clan painters.On the other hand,during the early Ming dynasty,painting was dominated by the court’s "courtyard style".However,outside the courtyard,the "Zhejiang school" of painting,with its similar style,challenged the painting world and influenced the painting style of the clan painters.Overall,the painters of the clan during this period were closely associated with the central court,both in their thinking and behavior.The author has selected Zhu Youxu,a second-generation prince of the Zhou clan and his painting "Confucius Reading",among the clan painters of this period,as a representative for analysis.Zhu Youxu’s experience was highly representative of the early Ming Dynasty,having undergone the hardships of being abolished as a commoner and then restored to his country.In terms of his painting achievements,he was also highly regarded by his contemporaries,making him an appropriate representative of the artistic level of the clan painters during the early Ming Dynasty.The middle of the Ming Dynasty marked a period of development for the Ming clan’s painting.During this time,clan painters no longer had opportunities to make political achievements,leading them to shift their focus towards personal development and the realization of life values through culture and art.Moreover,Ming painting during this period was characterized by the decline of "courtyard" and "Zhejiang School" painting,and the increasing rise of literati painting.This shift in painting trends also impacted the painting style of Ming clan painters.The majority of Ming clan painters during this period were raised in various royal palaces since childhood and grew up with a deep connection to the local community.As a result,their thought processes and behavioral logic tended to shift from the central court to the local community,although the court remained a crucial audience for their work.Among the clan painters of this period,the author has chosen Zhu Gongfern,the fourth generation of Le’an Wang of Ningfu,and his "Bamboo,Chrysanthemum,and Stone Painting" as a representative for analysis.On one hand,Zhu Gongfern,as a member of the Ningfu clan,experienced the family catastrophe at the end of Zhengde along with other members,but was fortunately not implicated.As a close "spectator",his mentality and behavioral logic were consistent with those of other clan painters during that period,making him a representative figure.On the other hand,Zhu Gongfern was a pioneer of painting in the Ning clan and made significant contributions to their outstanding achievements in the field of painting.As such,he holds typical significance for research.During the late Ming Dynasty,the Ming clan,particularly the lower clans,became increasingly active in local society due to the continuous reproduction of the clan and the loosening of imperial restrictions.Many members of the clan traveled frequently,which expanded their social network and allowed them to assimilate with the literati.As such,the author has chosen to study Zhu Junshu,an unknown painter from a distant clan during this period,and his painting "Stopping the Boat and Watching the Geese" in order to explore the painting style of the main members of the clan during this time.The article utilizes a research methodology that involves analyzing the explicit and implicit information presented in the three images of Zhu Junshu’s painting and combining them with the painter’s living environment to interpret the special meanings embedded in his works.This analysis aims to showcase the painting landscape of clan painters during different periods of the Ming Dynasty.Furthermore,the author reviews three existing painting works: "The History of Painting" by Zhu Mouhui,a member of the Ning clan;"De Shan Zhai Ju Spectrum" by Zhu Youkuang,a member of the Zhou clan;and "The Art of Painting" by Zhu Shouyong and Zhu Yiya,both members of the Lu clan.The ideas embodied in their works are analyzed from the perspective of their compilation characteristics and content composition.Finally,the author analyzes the contribution of Ming clan painters in the history of painting from two perspectives: their contribution to Ming painting and their contributions to later generations.The analysis reveals that Ming clan painters made outstanding contributions to the guidance of Ming aesthetic style,the cultivation of local painting talents,the promotion of fiefdom painting art exchanges,and the provision of livelihood for some fiefdom painters.They also contributed to the style of later generations’ painting,the compilation of later generations’ painting history works,and the preservation and dissemination of classical culture and art from previous dynasties.