About the author
Deng Chun: basic information about his life, official career, and native place is very limited in publicly available sources, and his authorship can currently be confirmed only through his surviving works. Two of his works are included here, both centered on Huaji (A Sequel to the Record of Painting): one is the original text and the other an unannotated edition, and both may be classified under culture. Judging from the content and format of Huaji, the book continues the tradition of earlier painting histories and painting records, using note-style entries to document painters' deeds, the transmission of works, and critical commentary; it combines historical compilation with artistic evaluation, is concise in wording, and emphasizes firsthand observation. Works of this kind are useful for understanding the ecosystem of ancient painting, painters' social networks, and collecting and connoisseurship practices, and have therefore become frequently cited sources in later research on painting history. Because reliable biographical materials are lacking, a complete assessment of the man and his scholarship must await the discovery of new sources.