CULTURAL HISTORY

CHINA FIRSTS IN CULTURAL HISTORY
First famous woman writer (Ban Gu)	1st c. A.D.
Art criticism and theory	4th–6th c. A.D.
Histories of art	9th c.
Art collecting as a specialist enterprise	8th c. A.D.
Action painting	9th c. A.D.
Vernacular language movement in literature	9th c. A.D.
Bohemian artist ideal (drunken painting with dish towels, hands, feet etc.)	9th c. A.D.
Open art market (dealers, galleries, brokers, etc.)	11th c. A.D.
Natural-looking as opposed to the formal garden.	9th c. A.D.
Anti-court, anti-naturalistic, expressive theories of art	Late 11th c.
Theory that good art can be ugly	11th c.
Vulgar/disgusting subjects treated in literature	11th c.
Originality becomes an important criterion of critical writing	11th c.
Art for its own sake	10th c.
State-sponsored painting academy	1104 A.D.
The notion that abstract forms can convey emotions.	11th c.
Printed painting manuals.	11th c.
Women artists recognized in formal writings on art.	12th c.
First major woman poet.	12th c.
First published catalogues of art collections	12th c.
First major woman artist.	14th c.
Collectors promote and collect contemporary artists.	16th c.
First illustrated painting manuals for amateurs.	17th c.
First art historical chapter devoted to women artists.	17th c.