Dong Qichang 's South Relations And The Development Of The Ming And Qing Literati Painting

Based on the topic of relationship between Dong’s North South theory and development of Literati painting during Ming and Qing dynasty, and on clue of North South theory’s influence on Literati painting during Ming and Qing dynasty, this thesis expounds the reason why Dong and other people in that time found. But later in Qing dynasty, the content and meaning of North South theory were changed. People developed it and made it become a kind of weapon that equipped them to attack others. Undoubtedly, there were a great many of reasons, including support of ruling class background of society and culture, conditions of economy, disguised replacement of concept and prejudiced explanation of so-called some scholars, resulted in this change which broke the new situation in painting world found by Dong and others as well as changed the original intention of Dong’s North South theory. Among them, heterodox party and orthodox party were the typical representatives. They stated the relationship between Dong’s North South theory and development of Literati painting through their attitudes and opinions towards North South theory, their attitudes in creation and their spirits in thinking. Dong’s North South theory should be treated dialectically, from the angle of element in beginning and changes in later stage. Dong is deserved to be praised by his position of authority in that time and great effect on later time. He brought the Buddhist and calligraphy into painting and proposed distinction, which brought vigor to art and solved the contradiction between image and drawing. In my opinion, North South theory is the aesthetic appreciation of painting not the history works, which should be treated by balanced view to its conflicts and shortcomings and shouldn’t be repudiated totally.From this paper we can see that Dong’s North South theory has no attention to boycott North and treat them quite objectively. Literati painting didn’t go too far because of its extreme "development", which made a great depression in painting world during the later qing dynasty. Thus wang and shi became opposite since the "re-developfnent" of North South theory...