Away or Across

——Companionship of the Surviving Ming Painters in Jiangnan Area during Early Qing Dynasty

Abstract: It is without much difficulty to find out the multiplicity concerning the identity of the companions through the study of the companionship of the surviving Ming painters in Jiangnan area during early Qing Dynasty: apart from other surviving painters and survivals of Ming Dynasty, their companions also included officers in Qing Dynasty and merchants. They gathered for various relations — teacher and student, students of the same teacher, old friends, country fellows, etc. “Rebelling Qing Dynasty to rebuild Ming Dynasty” was somewhat a personal belief or perspective, which would not impede the transaction between these companions with congenial interests but provoke them to reserve difference on common ground. The surviving painters might also accept the patronage and help from the merchants and Han officials in Qing Dynasty. In short, the companionship of the surviving Ming painters went across the political border. The fact that their social relations were usually overlapping vividly illustrates the complexity of human society and the diversity of humanity.

Keywords: early Qing Dynasty; surviving Ming painters in Jiangnan area; companionship

Min Cai: School of Fine Arts, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China. E-mail: 460928616@qq.com.

*Corresponding author, Zhongxing Liu: School of History and Culture, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China. E-mail: 71423900@qq.com.

Zun Wang: School of Fine Arts, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China. E-mail: 18148533@qq.com.