Literati (wenren) artists of the late Northern Song period are known to have painted in almost every major genre, including landscapes, bamboo, bird-and-flower, horses, and figures, but portraiture is noticeably absent. A close contextual study of one painting in particular, The Ear Picker, wrongly attributed to the Five Dynasties Period painter Wang Qihan, will demonstrate that portraiture of a very particular nature, one that ironically can be labeled self-effacing, was not only practiced by wenren painters in Su Shi’s coterie, it constitutes some of the most intriguing works of art of the eleventh century.
Peter Sturman is Professor of Chinese Art History at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His has written widely on painting and calligraphy, with a particular focus on the literati tradition. His current book project is on the development and practice of literati painting during the Northern Song.