Where learning and art proved a potent mix

Who belongs to this exclusive club is a matter of much scholarly contention, but the quality of their works is not ZHAO XU/SU QIANG/MICHELLE OTTMAN

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but when that consists of stealing the very creativity that puts food on an artist's table, it is inevitable that he or she is going to devise a way to stop it happening.

In Chinese art this has included artists using almost impossible-to-replicate brushstrokes and stamping their work with seals apparent only to the painter.