Tracing the Past, Drawing the Future examines a crucial turning point in the development of Chinese ink painting during the 20th century, a change represented by the beautiful and innovative work of four artists, Wu Changshuo (1844 1927), Qi Baishi (1863 1957), Huang Binhong (1864 1955), and Pan Tianshou (1897 1971). With careers spanning over a century of radical change in China, these artists were instrumental in propelling the ancient tradition of Chinese ink painting into the modern era in the face of compelling Western influences. As a group, their work represents an alternative approach to questions of relevance and modernity. The catalogue illuminates the context in which these artists worked, describes their overall contribution to the history of Chinese art, and highlights their individual ideas and achievements. Dr. Xiaoneng Yang offers a brief historical background for the evolution of modern Chinese painting, and Richard Vinograd analyzes the alternative modernism represented by these artists, each of whom worked in the brush-and-ink idiom, confronted the shift toward practices of the West, and gave new life through this confrontation to cherished traditions. Featuring more than one hundred works of both painting and calligraphy by the four artists, the book also includes a glossary and detailed bibliography.