Bisnar 1
Yuan Dynasty’s Exiled Scholar–Painters’ Works
After the fall of the Song dynasty, Kublai Khan and the Mongols ruled over
present-day China, Korea, Mongolia, and surrounding landmasses referring to
themselves as the Yuan dynasty. During his reign, Kublai Khan operated out of
modern day Beijing and adopted Chinese culture and politics while limiting the
influence of regional rulers who he believed held too much power. While Kublai
Khan enhanced economic growth, extended the Grand Canal, and rebuilt public
buildings and highways, some scholar-painters of the Chinese court refused to serve
under Mongolian rule. These artists left their positions in public life to pursue art in
a more personal manner opposed to looking for meaning in nature.
Scholar-painters started painting as a form of expression for both themselves
