A Closer Look at the Painting Spirit of Ming and Qing Literati Painting Through Kong Yanshi

Literati painting has been the mainstream of painting in the Ming and Qing dynasties. But from the beginning of the 20~(th) century, Literati painting, especially those in the Ming and Qing Dynasties have become very controversial. During this long period of nearly 100 years, it has always been the focus to know and value correctly and objectively this kind of art. This paper, bashing on Kong Yanshi, a famous literati painter in that period and his work The Recipe for Shicun Painting, attempts to interpret the painting spirit of literati painting in the Ming and Qing dynasties from the following three aspects: the expression of one's own emotion, the show and establishment of writing independence and the increasing consciousness of creativity and change.