During the Ming Dynasty, Dong Qichang (1555–1636) institutionalized literati art under the name of the Southern School, in contrast to the Northern School, which represented court or professional art. During the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu ruler facilitated an amalgamation of the two schools for reasons of political consolidation. Eventually, the Southern School evolved to underpin Chinese art practice – both the new Orthodox School represented by Wang Yuanqi (1642–1715), who was regarded as a literati artist, and the so-called Individualists like Shitao (1642–1707) and Zhu Da (1626– 1705), who would be revered by the Shanghai School as the direct forerunners of the 19th and 20th century literati art.

Firstly, there is the notion of being independent, as opposed to being defined or limited by the institution. Secondly, art education and learning needs to be holistic, involving neither just technique mastery, nor conceptual thinking, but the in-between spaces. Thirdly, self- cultivation involves the integration of different forms of art, such as painting, calligraphy, and poetry. Fourthly, it is important to learn from both knowledge and tradition, as well as Nature and the inner self, hence individuality. This is perhaps the most important lesson of art history, from Tang Dynasty art theorist Guo Ruoxu, to Su Dongpo, to Dong Qichang, to Shitao. For Fan, this individuality was extended to individual creative expression, a principle that was particularly emphasized in his mentorship to younger artists, extending his self-cultivation to cultivation through teaching.