The Ghost Amusement Scroll: The Assemblage of Ambiguous Ghost Stories and a Canvas of Self-Expression

Abstract

Luo Ping (1733-1799) was one of the eight Yangzhou eccentric painters (also known as Yangzhou baguai) in the Qing Dynasty in China, renowned for their innovative approach to art. This project explores why Luo's Ghost Amusement scroll appealed to the scholars and literati of his time and how it became a visual work representing the Zhiguai theme in the eighteenth century. Rather than investigating the artist's intention and perspective to interpret his work, this paper focuses on the painting's quality of ambiguity and how it fascinated its audience. Then, the paper suggests that the painting's greatest appeal lies in its ambiguity, which prompts viewer interaction and self-expression. This paper utilizes biographical, social-historical, and psychoanalytical methods to contextualize the artist's influence and the painting's popularity. In addition, it offers a visual analysis to demonstrate the painting's quality and techniques, which significantly impacts audiences' interpretation. Following the analysis, it connects the painting with the rise of the Zhiguai theme in contemporary literature, especially with Pu Songling and other Zhiguai writers. In doing so, the paper aims to claim that the Ghost Amusement scroll grants its audiences a space for self-expression. The paper thus enables us to explore the "representation crisis" and censorship issue in the last Chinese imperial dynasty.