The Art of Dissent

If you go to New York, look for The Art of Dissent at the Met.  This review describes the art and artists who lived through the conquest of the Ming Empire by the Manchus in 1644, and who expressed their political philosophy through their art:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/arts/design/the-art-of-dissent-in-17th-century-china-at-the-met-museum-review.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=%22Art%20of%20Dissent%22&st=cse