Wen Zhengming--Wumen School of Painting.2

Author: Zi Du, Geng Jing, Yan Ai Hua (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Wen Zhengming (1470–1559), originally named Bi, also known as Bi, used the courtesy name Zhengzhong, styled himself as Hengshan Jushi, was a Ming Dynasty calligrapher and painter. Born in Wuxian, Jiangsu. He held the position of Hanlin Dai Zhao. In his youth, he studied literature, calligraphy, and painting. He had close ties with Zhu Yunming, Tang Yin, and Xu Zhengqing, and was known as one of the "Four Wits of Wuzhong." His cursive script was bold and elegant; his large-character calligraphy was extraordinary, and he excelled in small regular script, as well as clerical script. He was also skilled in painting landscapes, often deducing the meaning behind ancient masterpieces and painting them with great care. He frequently depicted the lakes and mountains of Jiangnan, gardens, and the lives of scholars. His compositions were balanced, with brushwork that was rich, refined, and beautiful. In his early years, he often used a slanted brush, his style meticulous; in middle age, his style became looser; and in his later years, he gradually developed a mellow and balanced style, combining both bold and delicate brushwork. He was also adept at painting flowers, orchids, bamboo, and figures. He had many students, forming the Wumen School, and was known alongside Shen Zhou, Tang Yin, and Qiu Ying as the "Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty." His surviving works include: "Echoing Gorges with a Zither" (scroll), now housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art; "Ancient Trees and Verdant Mist" (scroll), preserved in the Nanjing Museum; "Clear Beauty of Shihu Lake" (scroll), held in the Shanghai Museum; "Deep May River" (scroll), stored in the Suzhou Museum; and "Huxi Grass Hall" (scroll), kept in the Liaoning Provincial Museum. His poetry is collected in "Futian Ji."