Mortal Ancestors, Immortal Images: Zhang Dai’s Biographical Portraits

Main Article Content

Duncan M. Campbell

Abstract

Towards the end of his long life, the prolific late-Ming historian and essayist Zhang Dai 張岱 (1597-?1684) completed a book that he had been working on for many years. Entitled Portraits of the Eminent and Worthy Immortals of Zhejiang During the Ming Dynasty (You Ming yuyue san bu xiu tuzan 有明於越三不朽名賢圖贊) the book included the short biographies (with poetic panegyrics) and portraits of 109 men and women of Zhang Dai’s hometown of Shaoxing, one of the epicentres of China’s élite cultural life. The book was organised according to the “Three Immortalities of Life”: moral force, meritorious service, and wise words. Zhang also included a number of his own friends and family members in this collection.

This paper discusses aspects the relationship between text and image in this late-imperial Chinese work, both in the context of Zhang Dai’s practice as a biographer who had a strong visual sense and in regard to his particular historical plight as someone who had survived the collapse of one dynasty and who had lived on under its successor regime.

Article Details

Section
Politics and Aesthetics in China Special Issue November 2012 (Peer Reviewed)
Author Biography

Duncan M. Campbell, Australian National University

Department of Chinese Studies School of Culture, History and Language College of Asia and the Pacific Baldessin Precinct Building (110) The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200 AUSTRALIA Tel: +61-2-6125 8233 Fax: +61-2-6125 0745