 During the Northern Song ( 960 – 1126 CE ) , a new class of scholar @-@ artists emerged who did not possess the <unk> l <unk> skills of the academy painters nor even the proficiency of common marketplace painters . The literati 's painting was simpler and at times quite unschooled , yet they would criticize these other two groups as mere professionals , since they relied on paid commissions for their livelihood and did not paint merely for enjoyment or self @-@ expression . The scholar @-@ artists considered that painters who concentrated on realistic depictions , who employed a colorful palette , or , worst of all , who accepted monetary payment for their work were no better than butchers or tinkers in the marketplace . They were not to be considered real artists . 
