James Francis Cahill

HIstorian of Chinese and Japanese art, emphasizing Chinese painting and Japanese painting of the Nanga school. His early work dealt with the theory and practice of scholar-amateur painting in China; later he published the first coherent and detailed account of Chinese painting from the 14th century through the 17th century. Other books treat the economic life of the Chinese artist, and poetic paiting in China and Japan. Most recently he has turned to neglected areas of Chinese painting, including functional pictures by professional masters working in urban studios, and beautiful-women and erotic picturesm the subjects of two books in progress.