This book investigates the issue of conceptual originality in art criticism of the seventeenth century, a period in which China dynamically reinvented itself. In art criticism, the term which was called upon to indicate conceptual originality more than any other was "qi", literally, "different"; but secondarily, "odd," like a number and by extension, "the novel," and "extraordinary." This work finds that originality, expressed through visual difference, was a paradigmatic concern of both artists and critics. Burnett speculates on why many have dismissed originality as a possible "traditional Chinese" value, and the ramifications this has had on art historical understanding. She further demonstrates that a study of individual key terms can reveal social and cultural values and provides a linear history of the increase in critical use of "qi" as "originality" from the fifth through the seventeenth centuries, exploring what originality looks like in artworks by members of the gentry elite and commoner classes, and explains how the value lost its luster at the end of the seventeenth century.

This classic work, first published in 1971, explores the transition in painting styles from the late Sung period to the art of Yuan dynasty literati. Building on the pioneering work of Oswald Siren and James Cahill, Susan Bush’s investigations of painting done under the Chin dynasty confirmed the dominance of scholar-artists in the north and their gradual development of scholarly painting traditions, and a related study of Northern Sung writings showed that their theory was shaped as much by the views of their social class as by their artistic aims. Bush’s perspective on Sung scholars’ art and theory helps explain the emergence of literati painting as the main artistic tradition in Yuan times. Social history thus served to supplement an understanding of the evolution of artistic styles.

This title provides a systematic examination of the philosophy of Chinese art, exploring the peculiarity of artistic forms and distinctive conceptions and artistic principles of Chinese art which are grounded in the life awareness of the ancient Chinese and interconnect with the Chinese philosophy of life. Synthesizing Chinese theories of art with Western philosophical systems, the book is organized into five parts: (1) the subject, the actor who creates, appreciates, and criticizes artistic works; (2) ontological aspects, that is, the artwork per se and the dynamic process of creation; (3) aesthetic traits, the organic whole constituted by rhythm, meter, the principle of harmony, and space-time awareness; (4) artistic representation, which is manifested in the rhythm of vital energy, momentum of genre, vigour of style, and taste and inclination; and (5) the evolution of Chinese art. Based on this structural thread, the author looks into the interwoven relationship between the philosophy of Chinese art and ancient Chinese thought in terms of the spirit of life, nature–human relations, and ontological awareness of human-centredness. The book will appeal to scholars, students, and general readers interested in aesthetics, art theory, art philosophy, Chinese art, and ancient Chinese culture.