Visual Knowledge Reclassified: Painting Manuals in Ming–Qing Household Encyclopedias

This project examines visual representation and knowledge production in late imperial China, focusing on the “Painting Manual” (huapu men 畫譜門) sections in Ming–Qing household encyclopedias. This specific genre served as an important venue where visual knowledge was classified, adapted, and redefined within shifting knowledge structures during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Acknowledging the role of huapu men as practical guides from which common readers could learn artistic techniques, the study further examines how the changing selection of painting subjects, such as plum blossoms, bamboo, birds, landscapes, and figures, reflects evolving cultural values and epistemic priorities. The project also investigates how editorial choices, publishing practices, and book formats shaped what kinds of artistic knowledge became accessible to everyday readers. In addition, digital humanities approaches and quantitative analysis are used to identify broader patterns of change and reveal how shifting epistemic priorities reshaped painting knowledge in late imperial China.