Speaker: Li Yongqiang, Ph.D. in Art History; Bagui Scholar and Professor; Dean of the School of Chinese Painting and the Lijiang School of Painting Institute, Guangxi Arts University; Part-time Doctoral Supervisor at Guangxi Normal University; Member of the Theory and Curatorial Committee of the China Artists Association; Member of the Plastic Arts Committee of the China Literary and Art Critics Association; Vice Chairman of the Guangxi Artists Association; Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Lijiang School of Painting Promotion Association. He has led two National Social Science Fund projects in art studies, published six monographs, authored more than one hundred academic articles, and received multiple awards from the People’s Government of Guangxi, including two Bronze Drum Awards and four Social Science Achievement Awards.

On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, an academic lecture titled “The Reception of Xu Wei in Chinese Art Historiography” was held at the School of Fine Arts, Nanjing Normal University. Professor Li Yongqiang from Guangxi Arts University was invited as the keynote speaker, attracting a large audience of faculty members and students.

Drawing upon extensive art historical literature, Professor Li challenged the common assumption that Xu Wei had always occupied a prominent position in the history of Chinese painting. Through a systematic examination of influential art historical texts from different periods of the twentieth century, he advanced a central argument: Xu Wei’s status as a major master of Chinese painting was not established from the outset, but was gradually constructed through changing historical and scholarly interpretations.

Li demonstrated that during the Ming dynasty and for a considerable period of the Qing dynasty, Xu Wei’s reputation as a painter was significantly overshadowed by that of Chen Chun. Even in many art history publications of the first half of the twentieth century, Xu Wei often received only brief mention or was omitted altogether, appearing primarily in relation to artists such as Lin Liang and Chen Chun. It was not until art textbooks published after 1979 that a significant shift occurred. From that point onward, discussions of Xu Wei increasingly surpassed those devoted to Chen Chun, gradually establishing Xu as a pivotal figure in the development of freehand flower-and-bird painting during the Ming dynasty.

Professor Li explored the reasons behind these shifts in artistic reputation from multiple perspectives. Xu Wei began painting relatively late in life, and his highly expressive, unconventional style did not align with the restrained and balanced aesthetic ideals favored by traditional literati culture. As a result, collectors of the Ming period generally preferred the works of Chen Chun. In modern times, realism and representational accuracy became dominant criteria for artistic evaluation, further marginalizing Xu Wei’s expressive and non-naturalistic approach. As intellectual and artistic environments became increasingly diverse, however, and as research on literati painting deepened, evaluative standards broadened, leading scholars to reassess and rediscover the significance of Xu Wei’s artistic achievements.

Li also traced the lineage of artists who engaged with and inherited Xu Wei’s legacy from the Qing dynasty to the modern period. Successive generations of painters drew inspiration from both his brushwork and artistic spirit, continually expanding his influence and contributing to the elevation of his historical standing.

Rich in documentary evidence and distinguished by its fresh perspective, the lecture not only clarified the historical evolution of Xu Wei’s artistic reputation but also offered valuable methodological insights into the study of Chinese art history and the construction of artistic canons.