Dong Qichang: formation of a Chinese artist

The article examines the identity formation of Dong Qichang, a prominent Chinese artist, calligrapher and art theorist of the late Ming dynasty. In recent decades, the heritage of this versatile historical and cultural figure has been actively researched both in China and abroad. The author analyzed the prerequisites and circumstances of the personal development of Dong Qichang, who was the main representative of the Songjiang school of painting, and identified the key factors and aspects of this process. Dong Qichang?s rise as a painter was facilitated by the favorable conditions of the Jiangnan region where he grew up, his personal ambitions, which were also influenced by the environment, and the general intellectual upsurge of the late Ming period. Regular communication with other representatives of the Chinese intellectual elite, active study of paintings from previous eras, and constant travels around China made the greatest contribution to the formation of the artisfs views and style.