Reply #55: It's a time and a place and a type, all in one.... [View All]

Here's a decent place to start: http://archive.tpt.org/china/literati1.html

From that site:
"Wenren, or literati, were first of all scholars trained in the Confucian classics, poetry, and history – required subjects for the official civil service exam. Many literati spent their younger years in government service and their older years as retired gentlemen (see the example of the painter Gao Qibei on page 4). In retirement, literati could devote their energies full-time to painting, poetry, calligraphy or the collection of old books, antiques, or maintaining their garden."

I loved learning about this kind of art last year. I think it's absolutely beautiful, and I adore the way that they use negative space in their painting.