The Narrative Power of Literary Painting Inscriptions: A Semiotic Reconstruction from the "Separation of Text and Image" to the "Integration of Text and Image"

This study focuses on the inscriptions on literati paintings from the Song-Yuan to Ming-Qing periods. Drawing on semiotic theory, it delves into the evolution of narrative power inherent in these inscriptions, tracing their development from a state of “separation of text and image”to one of “integration of text and image.”Through a comparative analysis of the visual structures of supplementary inscriptions, such as the complementary poem in Su Shi's Withered Tree and Strange Rock, and intrusive inscriptions, exemplified by the extensive colophon in Bada Shanren's Riverbank with Flowers, this research reveals how the literati class leveraged a triple mechanism—spatial occupation by text, semantic strategies, and semiotic interaction—to profoundly embed the linguistic system into the generation of meaning in the image. The findings indicate that during the “separate” form of the Song-Yuan period, inscriptions, serving as appendages to the image, reinforced literati discursive power by acting as an “authority of connoisseurship.” In contrast, during the transitional “integrated” practices of the Ming-Qing period, inscriptions ascended to become dominant compositional elements. Through the semiotic substitution of image by text and the reconstruction of narrative temporality, language achieved control over visual narration. The essence of the power wielded by inscriptions lies in the transformation of literati cultural capital into symbolic power, with the “integrated”form marking the establishment of the “text-dominant-over-image” narrative paradigm in Chinese art history. The study concludes that the semiotic reconstruction of inscriptions not only deconstructs the aesthetic facade of the traditional concept of “common origin of calligraphy and painting” but also unveils the hidden disciplinary role of linguistic structures in shaping subjectivity within art-historical writing, thereby offering a paradigmatic case for reflecting on cross-media narrative power.