Prior to the Ming dynasty, according to Wang Pei-yueh, seals were just an adjunct to calligraphy and painting, but Wen P'eng's creative seal carving made them into works to be appreciated in their own right.
王北岳指出，在明朝以前，印章只是書畫中的附庸，至文彭的創新，才成為可以單獨欣賞的作品。