Chapter 1 reviews the background to the rise of art patronage studies and their development and its influence on studies of Chinese art history. It also provides alternative approaches to studying activities related to patronage and their influence and role in Chinese art history by criticising traditional analysis of Chinese art based on social and economic theories. / Chapter 2 examines the life of Wang and explores the intentions and meaning to his patronage activities through studying his political involvement, literary activities and his social background and connections. / Chapter 3 discusses how Wang, given his knowledge in history and passion for art and its collection, reinterprets art history with reference to his private collection of art, and thereby consolidating his status as a leading figure of literary and cultural circle of his time. / Chapter 4 explains and reflects on the formation of the "artist-patron" relationship through examining the relationship and interaction between Wang and the literary circle and by appraising the financial background and standing of artists and calligraphers at the time. / Chapter 5 examines the direct impact that Wang, as a literary leader and patron of the art, has on the styles and subject matter of art work by examining and decoding several pieces of art commissioned by himself, thus revealing a distinct mechanism in which art was produced at the time. / Chapter 6 discusses the "artist-patron" relationship and the "trading of cultural resources" by examining diverse pieces of art work given to Wang as gifts by different individual artists and calligraphers. / Chapter 7 analyses the significance of the patronage activities of Wang and provides a new approach to understanding the issue of traditional Chinese art patronage in Chinese art history. / Through a case study of the life of Wang Shizhen, this research attempts to analyse the influence of literary leader and patron of the arts on the development of painting and calligraphy during the mid-Ming period. By analysing the "artist-patron" relationship, this paper attempts to explain alternative mechanism through which traditional Chinese art was produced. The thesis also examines art patronage activities in Suzhou during the sixteenth century and thereby attempts to examine these activities from the broader cultural and historical context at the time. This paper is divided into seven chapters: / 鄧民亮. / 論文(哲學博士)--香港中文大學, 2006. / 參考文獻(p. 298-320). / Advisers: Tsung-i Jao; Kar Leung Mok. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-02, Section: A, page: 0378. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / School code: 1307. / Lun wen (zhe xue bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2006. / Can kao wen xian (p. 298-320). / Deng Minliang.