卖艺与反卖艺——晚明印人的经济生活

Saying Yes or No to Selling for a Living: The Economic Life of Seal Artists in Late Ming

明清之际的职业印人大致的谋生方式有三种:一是以刻印换得维持生活的费用,二是以半清客的身份获得生活之资,三是通过篆刻改变人生轨迹,跻身于经济较为富裕的阶层。而职业印人经营自己作为"印人"的形象,并不以今人所谓"按时交件"为标准,而是强调自己的旷达疏放,以及与文人相通的雅趣高致。在"卖艺"与"反卖艺"的依违之间,"资生之念"与"好名之念"不能兼得,以"不"重新划出文化的疆域,辞富贵而就贫贱,终于成为大部分印人的最后选择。

The professional seal artists in the Ming-Qing transition had different ways of making a living.Some lived by seal-engraving;some lived as hangers-on associating with wealthy families;and some completely changed track and became the haves.They tried their best to project a free and elegant image of themselves,hoping that by doing so the stereotyped imaged that they were merely craftsmen with piece wage would be changed.Seal artists of the time struggled between selling art for a living and living a pure artistic life.Finally,most of them chose not to sacrifice art in exchange of a better life.