The Study of Chinese Literati Painting

The study of Chinese literati painting, as explored in The Study of Chinese Literati Painting by Chen Shizeng and Omura Seigai, focuses on scholars in China and Japan whose art—poetry, calligraphy, and painting—was primarily intended to express personal feelings and demonstrate cultivation rather than professional skill. This concept was codified in China during the Ming dynasty and later gained popularity in Japan.12

Chen Shizeng, an early 20th-century Chinese critic and painter, championed traditional Chinese painting while also appreciating Western art and innovative techniques. He collaborated with Japanese art historian Omura Seigai to preserve classical traditions against modernization. Their joint publication examined the history of scholar-painters, emphasizing that moral quality, scholarship, literary talent, and emotion are essential elements of literati painting.2