This was because Dong Qichang in the end of Ming period wrote in his theory of paintings, "Gazenshitsu zuihitsu"that 'painting of Bunjin was initiated by WANG We,i' identifying WANG Wei, as the progenitor of literati paintings.
これは明末の董其昌による画論『画禅室随筆』に「文人の画は王維から始まる」として唐代の王維をその始祖としたことによる。