Wen chen-ming research: the formation and establishment of the lineage as a literati painter

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K16730
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Fine art history
• Research Institution: The Museum Yamato Bunkakan
• Principal Investigator: TOKO SAYAKA 公益財団法人大和文華館, その他部局等, 学芸部員 (80706755)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 美術史 / 東洋史 / 文人画 / 蘇州 / 文徴明 / 沈周 / 中国絵画史

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Wen cheng-ming (1470～1559) was a literati painter active in Suzhou in the 15th and 16th centuries. From his youth, he admired painters from antiquity, and he established his own painting style by mimicking ancient painters’ brushwork and coloration. In this study, I have carefully examined paintings and literary sources and confirmed the major influence that his teacher, Shen chou (1427～1509), had on his painting style, as well as his attitude toward creating art. Furthermore, I presented several examples of the creative approach that valued painters from earlier eras, which was gaining ground not only in China but also in Japan, where it had been inherited and shared. Thus, I have further clarified Wen cheng-ming’s importance in East Asian art history.

Free Research Field

中国絵画史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

東アジア絵画史に多大な影響力をもった、明末の董其昌による文人画家の系譜の体系化以前に、文人画家達（沈周、文徴明）が、実際には過去の画家とどのように向き合いながら、自身の画風と系譜意識を形成していったかを、絵画作品と文字史料の精査を通して明らかにすることで、文人画研究の深化を促した。更に本研究の成果は、雑誌論文、研究会発表、そして関連するテーマによる展覧会の開催という形で適宜公に発信した。これらは今後も中国や日本などで、東アジアの文人文化に着目した研究討論、展覧会が開催される際に、新たな着眼点を提示するものと考える。