Performing Inaction

Performing Inaction: The Courtly Arts of the Wanli Emperor, 1573–1620 is a fresh portrayal of the Wanli reign through the commissions of the Wanli emperor and his mother Empress Dowager Cisheng. Utilizing a trove of textual and visual evidence, Ka-yi Ho challenges long-standing narratives depicting Wanli as a neglectful ruler responsible for the demise of the Ming dynasty. Through a comprehensive examination of Wanli’s and Cisheng’s commissions—including paintings, books, mausoleums, and Buddhist sponsorships—Ho shows how their meticulous curation according to the long-standing customs of the Ming court revealed the ambitions and moral aspirations of the misunderstood Wanli and his highly esteemed mother. Unveiling vibrant yet rarely examined artistic activities within the Wanli court, Performing Inaction also endeavors to integrate the discourse of Wanli court art with the dynamic visual culture of late Ming China.

Ka-yi Ho received her doctoral degree in Chinese art history at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is an assistant professor in the Department of Fine Arts at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.