The “Dragon Vein in Painting: Visual Representation of the “Legitimacy” of the Qing Dynasty： A Study of Wang Yuanqi

ABSTRACT: In the early Qing Dynasty, the Manchu rulers urgently needed to gain ruling legitimacy. The “dragon Vein” in landscape painting reflected the response of the art circles to the Manchu subjugation of the Central Plain to establish a unified mighty empire. It was the outcome of Emperor Kangxi's political guidance combined with the orthodox artist Wang Yuanqi’s assiduous flattery. Wang Yuanqi’s “dragon vein” theory met the needs of Manchu rulers to seek “ruling legitimacy”. Thus his landscape paintings became a visual image of Qing Dynasty and was honored as the absolute classic dominating the art world for more than 300 years.

Key words:“dragon vein” in painting; Wang Yuanqi; “legitimacy” of the Qing Dynasty; visual representation

Cai Min: Dean of the Chinese Painting Department of the School of Fine Arts of Central China Normal University, and deputy director of the research center of Chinese arts and social history of Central China Normal University, and a visiting scholar at the Warburg Institute of the University of London, UK. Wuhan, China. Email: qing721@163.com

Wang Qianrong(Corresponding Author): student at the Department of Painting and Calligraphy Arts in National Taiwan University of Arts. Taiwan, China. Email: qing721@163.com