1 February 2018
“Painting a snake and adding some feet" – Rethinking Qiu Ying's copying practice
Talk by Dr. Yeewan Koon, Associate Professor, Hong Kong University
Co-presented by The Ink Society and the HKU Museum Society
Dr. Yeewan Koon presented her research on Qiu Ying and his copying practice, whose critics accused him of copying too much or for over embellishment: “painting a snake and adding some feet.” By closely examining some of Qiu Ying's most well-known works, Dr. Koon shed light on Qiu's method of citing past masters -- not so much to emulate them - but to create a narrative that drew on the copied image’s status of being a version of the original. Dr. Koon also spoke on the issues of authenticity and the growing production of forgery in Ming dynasty China.