Poetry and Painting in Song China：The Subtle Art of Dissent

ThroughoutthehistoryofimperialChina,theeducatedeliteusedvariousmeanstocriticizegovernmentpoliciesandactions.DuringtheSongdynasty(960-1278),somemembersofthiselitefoundanelegantandsubtlemeansofdissent:landscapepainting.Byexaminingliteraryarchetypes,thetitlesofpaintings,contemporaryinscriptions,andthehistoricalcontext,AlfredaMurckshowsthatcertainpaintingsexpressedstrongpoliticalopinions--sometransparent,othersdeliberatelyconcealed.Shearguesthatthecodingofmessagesinseeminglyinnocuouspaintingswasanimportantfactorinthegrowingrespectforpaintingamongtheeducatedeliteandthatthecapacityofpainting'ssystemsofreferencetoallowscholarstoexpressdissentwithimpunitycontributedtotheart'svitalityandlongevity.