The first in-depth look at the history and legacies of forgeries in Chinese art.
In 1634, scholar-official Zhang Taijie (b. ca. 1588) published a book titled A Record of Treasured Paintings (C. Baohui lu), presenting an extensive catalogue of a purportedly vast painting collection he claimed to have built. However, the entire book is Zhang's meticulously crafted forgery; he even forged paintings to match the documentation, and profited from trading them. Furthermore, the book intriguingly mirrors unfounded art-historical claims of its time. Prominent figures like Dong Qichang (1555–1636) made entirely fabricated arguments to assert legitimate lineages in Chinese art, designed to create a fictionalized history shaped by preferred beliefs rather than reality.
While presenting the first comprehensive exploration of various forgery practices in early modern China—fabricated texts, forged paintings, and fictitious art history—The Forger's Creed examines the cultural, social, and genealogical desires, anxieties, and tensions prevalent in early modern China. Through thorough scrutiny of the historical irregularities introduced by these forgeries, J. P. Park highlights a peculiar and paradoxical phenomenon wherein forgeries transform into legitimate materials across Chinese history.
By:
J. P. Park
Imprint: University of California Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 254mm,
Width: 178mm,
Spine: 20mm
Weight: 771g
ISBN: 9780520403802
ISBN 10: 0520403800
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 04 March 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Contents List of Illustrations Author’s Note Acknowledgments Prologue: James Cahill, Art Historian and Forger Introduction: Zhang Taijie, the Greatest Art Collector in Chinese History? 1. The Literary Making of the Past: Reading History from Forged Texts 2. To Deceive Is to Believe: Paintings Forged 3. Inventing Traditions: Fabricated Art History Conclusion: Zhang Taijie, Dong Qichang, and the Carnival Glossary Notes Bibliography Index
J. P. Park is the June and Simon Li Professor in the History of Art at the University of Oxford.
