Why do artists look to the past to find contemporary inspiration? This dissertation focuses on the reinventions and transformations of antiquity in the understudied genre known as bogu or “ancient erudition” paintings (博古图). Composite by nature, elements of archeology, epigraphy and as well as Western realism come together in these works forming mixed-media collages that distinguishes them from the paintings of previous generations. Originating at a time of great social, political and economic flux, bogu paintings are living examples of the ways in which art can transform antiquity into a modern visual language.

This dissertation offers the first comprehensive account of bogu painting’s history and facture, as well as the first in-depth analysis of the artistic practice of pioneering antiquarian artist, monk Liuzhou’s 六舟 (1791-1858) in English. My research also presents the historical origins of popular Chinese floral still-life genres including qinggong painting, suizhao painting and related decorative antiquarian motifs. Together, this study constitutes an important introduction to the evolving imagery of “antiquarianism” in China.

There is no single paradigm of bogu painting; composite by nature, elements of epigraphy, Western realism, indigenous rubbing techniques and woodblock printmaking come together in these hybrid works to form mixed-media collages that are distinct from ink paintings of previous generations. Given their hybridity, this study adopts a material approach to social history that critically examines changes in cultural value and the meaning of technological forms over time. More broadly, this research contributes to discourses on the politics of labor, the economics of art, and the changing relationship between art and craft, artist and artisan in the late Qing. Also examined are issues of authorship, authenticity, imitation, and representation. Ultimately, this research on bogu painting helps define how antiquarian practices seeped into popular culture and offers a new and more nuanced understanding of the complex role that the classical past has played in Chinese modernity.