在明末和清代初期,董其昌、“四王”们的仿古与复古可谓极一时之盛,在清代初年形成笼盖一世的强大思潮。三百年后,“四王”及其追随者们被近人骂得狗血淋头,原因就是复古。因为20世纪是个追求创新的世纪。但“四王”们要复什么古呢?复董源巨然的古,复元四家们的古,这差不多是几乎所有的中国美术史家的一个共识。笔者在20年前完成的一部专著 In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Dong Qichang and the “four kings” were extremely rich in both antique and retro. They formed a powerful trend of thought in the early Qing Dynasty. Three hundred years later, the “Four Kings” and their followers were applauded by a few people. The reason is that it is retro. Because the 20th century is a century of pursuit of innovation. However, what are the ancient relics of the “four kings”? It is almost a consensus reached by almost all Chinese art historians that the ancient resources of the Dong source were tremendous and the resources of the four restored. The author completed a monograph 20 years ago