Since T'ang (唐) period, painting was regarded as a humble job in China. It is said that people would despise Yen Li-pên, (閻立本) a higher government official, by calling him a painter. In Ming (明) period there were too many examples like this to enumerate. However, inTung-t'ing-ching-chi (洞天清祿集) which is considered to be written in late Southern Sung (南宋). there is a descripition such as“if you read many books, go through long distance, learn from great works of the former ages and produce a picture, painting is no longer a humble job.” This is from Shuofu (説郛) which was compiled in late Ming (明) period presuably to support as theory by Tung Ch'i-ch'ang (董其昌) who would esteem Southern tsung paintings and despise Nothern tsung paintings. That is probably the reason why the article of Tung-t'ien-ching-chi was not compiled in Ssu-k'u Ch'üan-shu (四庫全書) by the Emperor Ch'ien Lung (乾隆).