20 世紀以來，海內外的學者在討論18 世紀中國繪畫時，大多把焦點集中在所謂的「揚州八怪」。本研究計畫將以收藏在美國克裡夫蘭美術館的方士庶與葉震初合作之〈九日行庵文讌圖〉來探討文人的社會流動性(social mobility)與文人畫在18 世紀揚州的發展。本研究的重要性在於企圖擺脫傳統「正統文人畫派vs. 揚州八怪」的對立思考，從社會流動性的角度來重新審視18 世紀文人畫家從業餘的身份轉化成為職業畫家時所面臨的社會處境，以及風格選擇的問題。透過〈九日行庵文讌圖〉的研究，本計畫期能填補目前針對18 世紀中國畫史研究的一些盲點，進而豐富學界對晚期中國繪畫史的瞭解。 Beginning from the 20th century, scholars tend to focus on the issue of the so-called 「Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou」when they are discussing the history of 18th century Chinese painting. The purpose of present study intends to investigate The Literary Gathering at a Yangzhou Garden (dated 1743) by Fang Shishu (1692-1752) and Ye Zhenchu as an example to discuss the relationship between literati painting and social mobility in the 18th century Yangzhou. Instead of viewing the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou and the Orthodox School as dichotomy, the significance of the present study is to suggest the idea of social mobility to re-examine the socio-economic aspects when scholar-amateur artists of the eighteenth century Yangzhou were converting into professional artists. Through a thorough study of Fang』s The Literary Gathering at a Yangzhou Garden of 1743, the investigation not only intends to deepen the understanding of later Chinese painting, but in hopes to shed some new lights to the field.
