Ladies, also known as "the scholarly women", first appeared in Zhu Jingxuan's "Paintings of the Tang Dynasty". The term was widely used in the mid-Song Dynasty to refer to the upper class noble women in the ancient society. As dynasties alter, ordinary women increasingly became the subject in these paintings, reflecting the aesthetic interest of the citizen class. 

"Lady painting" belongs to the genre of portray in traditional Chinese painting. This genre gradually developed and matured with changes in dynasties. “Ladies’ paintings” developed in Wei, Jin, Southern and Southern Dynasties, flourished in Sui and Tang dynasties, and declined slightly in Yuan Dynasty. Finally, in Ming and Qing dynasties, with active participation of literati painters, it obtained considerable achievements by making significant progress in its expressive and varied techniques. 

Painters of the genre often embodies their understanding of "beauty" in the creation of these female images. As the aesthetic values vary with time, we can distinguish the understanding of female beauty and aesthetics in cultural life in a specific era.