This work roughly divides Wang Yuanqi's art into three main periods. Firstly, the period before 1670 when he remained chiefly in his hometown, Taicang, where, under direct supervision of his grandfather Wang Shimin, he received strict training as a literati painter from his early years. Subsequently, the period from the early 1670s to the late 1690s constituted the long formative stage of Wang Yuanqi's personal art. His paintings from this stage are still heavily modeled on works by old masters, but at the same time, it is clear that he slowly formulated a new approach to composition and brushwork in landscape painting. From the late 1690s to 1715, in the wake of his enhanced status at court, Yuanqi's art gradually reached its maturity, and new elements and techniques become evident in his work. This third period also saw the gradual establishment and consolidation of his authority over most artistic creation and criticism in the world of art.

List of Illustrations
Introduction
Chapter One
Jiangnan: Cradle of Orthodox Painting
Chapter Two
Low-Ranking Official, Highly-Respected Artist: Wang Yuanqi's
Life from 1670 to 1699
Chapter Three
Wang Yuanqi's Art after 1700 (I): Resonance of the Past
Chapter Four
Wang Yuanqi's Art after 1700 (II): The Heyday of Orthodox
Painting
Epilogue
Bibliography