This concept addresses the theoretical distinction between literati (scholar-amateur) painting and court (professional/academy) painting in Chinese art history, as it developed from the Yuan into the Ming dynasty. Court painting is defined by luxurious materials (e.g., silk, rich color), technical virtuosity, illusionistic detail, professional paid craftsmanship, and subject matter affirming imperial hierarchy and tradition, whereas literati painting is defined by humble materials (ink on paper), personal expression and authority, integration of poetry and calligraphy with painting, and grounding in individual experience of nature rather than established technique. This distinction belongs to the domain of Chinese art history, specifically the study of painting genres and their social/institutional contexts, and sets up the later theorization of literati aesthetics as a formal philosophy of art.
This concept addresses the theoretical distinction between literati (scholar-amateur) painting and court (professional/academy) painting in Chinese art history, as it developed from the Yuan into the…