Rules for Fees of Modern and Contemporary Seal, Stone, Calligraphy, and Painting Artists

Author: Wang Zhongxiu / Mao Ziliang / Chen Hui (editors)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: July 1, 2004
Features:
1. The contracts for calligraphy and painting (shixin) are important materials for case studies of calligraphers and painters, as well as for research on specific periods in the history of calligraphy and painting. These materials provide a unique perspective for understanding the self-assessment of artists' artistic pursuits and values during a particular historical period, as well as their artistic activities and financial circumstances. They also allow us to trace and grasp the evolution and fluctuations of the art world. Some contracts preserve precious materials about artists and their lives and artistic activities that are now lost from our view. Regrettably, with the changes in the cultural context, most of these once abundant contracts have been scattered and forgotten. The compilation of this book aims to remedy this regret, but as it is a preliminary effort, the collection is not comprehensive, and many omissions remain. It is hoped that readers will take this into consideration.
2. This book includes over 2,000 contracts for calligraphy and painting, dating from 1874 to 1949, spanning a total of 76 years. To facilitate vertical and horizontal comparisons of these contracts across this significant historical period, the book adopts a chronological arrangement, with each contract clearly marked by its source and publication date.
3. The sources of the contracts in this book are divided into two categories: original documents and those published in newspapers. Contracts published in newspapers are mostly brief, but they are valuable for dynamically studying the art world and the pricing of artists' works. Since these are often the only available records of their original contracts, the book includes a large number of such contracts, making them an important component of this work.
4. The chronological arrangement of the contracts in this book is based on the year and month recorded in the contracts themselves. If the contracts do not specify a date, the date of their first publication in newspapers or art catalogs is used. Contracts whose original dates are unmarked and for which publication dates cannot be traced are included in the appendix.
5. This book primarily focuses on contracts for Chinese calligraphers and painters, with some inclusion of contracts from Japanese and Korean calligraphers and painters who practiced their art in China, as well as contracts for scholars who sold their literary works.
6. The appendix of this book includes chronological lists of calligraphers and painters. Well-known figures or those with detailed information in the contracts are listed concisely, while those who are less famous but provide new materials are listed in greater detail.
7. To facilitate the interpretation of the contracts, this book includes appendices such as chronological lists of calligraphers and painters, detailed records of the prices of calligraphy and painting in the ancient and modern art markets during different periods, supplementary notes on the late Qing Dynasty art world, and records of artists' residences during various periods. Additionally, there is an essay titled "The Disappointment of History and the History of Disappointment—An Interpretation of Shixin" to aid in understanding the book.
8. To assist readers in searching, this book features an alphabetical index of the names of calligraphers and painters included, as well as a table of contents.