The Forger's Creed: Reinventing Art History in Early Modern ChinaThe first in-depth look at the history and legacies of forgeries in Chinese art. In 1634, scholar-official Zhang Taijie (b. ca. 1588) published a book titled A Record of Treasured Paintings (C. Baohui lu), presenting an extensive catalogue of a purportedly vast painting collection he claimed to have built. However, the entire book is Zhang's meticulously crafted forgery; he even forged paintings to match the documentation, and profited from trading them. Furthermore, the book intriguingly mirrors unfounded art-historical claims of its time. Prominent figures like Dong Qichang (1555–1636) made entirely fabricated arguments to assert legitimate lineages in Chinese art, designed to create a fictionalized history shaped by preferred beliefs rather than reality. While presenting the first comprehensive exploration of various forgery practices in early modern China—fabricated texts, forged paintings, and fictitious art history—The Forger's Creed examines the cultural, social, and genealogical desires, anxieties, and tensions prevalent in early modern China. Through thorough scrutiny of the historical irregularities introduced by these forgeries, J. P. Park highlights a peculiar and paradoxical phenomenon wherein forgeries transform into legitimate materials across Chinese history. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Reading History from | 11 |
Paintings Forged | 63 |
Fabricated Art History | 113 |
Carnival | 145 |
Notes | 159 |
| 177 | |
| 195 | |
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Common terms and phrases
artists authentic Autumn Grove Baohui lu bian Calligraphy and Painting Chen Jiru Chinese art history collectors colophons colors on silk connoisseurs copied cultural dates unknown Deceive Dong Qichang Dong Yuan early modern China elites Emperor Huizong example fabricated fake figure forged genealogy Gu Kaizhi Handscroll Huang Gongwang Huang Quan imperial ink and colors inscriptions InventIng tradItIons James Cahill Jiusi landscape late Ming Lidai lineage literary Master Mountains National Palace Museum Ni Zan original painters past Qing Record of Treasured Rihua Rustic Delight scholars seals Sengyou seventeenth century Shen Defu Shen Zhou Sheng shuhua social Song dynasty Southern schools style Suzhou Taijie’s Tang texts Train Scroll Treasured Paintings Wang Meng Wang Shen Wang Shizhen Wang Wei Wen Zhengming writings Wu Kuan Wu Zhen Xuanhe Yan Liben Yang Sheng Zhang Sengyou Zhang Taijie Zhang’s catalogue Zhao Mengfu Zhengming Zhongguo