Wen Zhengming

• Wen Zhengming, originally named Bi, courtesy name Zhengming, later changed to Zhengzhong, and also known by the pseudonyms Ting Yun Sheng and Hengshan, was from Changzhou, Jiangsu. He studied under the famous painter Shen Zhou. Renowned for his mastery in both painting and calligraphy, he is considered one of the Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty.

• relevant artists

  • Anonymous

  • Liu Shumin

  • Mo Zhai

  • Yangyue

  • Jue Yuan

  • Pan Wenlan

  • Chaoyang

  • Gongquan

  • Qiu Shui

  • Shen Zhou

    Shen Zhou, courtesy name Qinan, and pseudonym Shitian, was the founder of the Wu School of painting and one of the Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty. He was deeply engaged in poetry, prose, calligraphy, and painting, and is considered the initiator of the "Wu School" style of literati painting during the mid-Ming period. Shen Zhou, along with Wen Zhengming, Tang Yin, and Qiu Ying, is collectively known as one of the "Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty" (明四家).

  • Tang Yin

    Tang Yin was born in Nan zhili Suzhou hu wu (Current Suhou, Jiangsu) He is a famous painter, calligrapher and poet of Ming dynasty. He is called as “Wu men si jia” or “Ming si jia” with Shenzhou, Wen Zhiming and Chouying. On poems and sentences he is called “Wu Zhong Si Caizi” with Zhuyunming, Xuzhenqing and Chouying.

  • Qiu Ying

    Qiu Ying, courtesy name was Shi Fu, art name was Shi Zhou, born in Taichang Jiangsu, later moved to Suzhou, a master of painting of Ming Dynasty. He was one of the four masters of the Min Dynasty “Wu Men Si Jia”, the other three were Shen Zhou, Wen Zhenming, Tang Yin. He was good at painting human figures, especially women. He was also good at ink painting. He had a variety of brushstrokes to express different objects, and his works of bird-and-flower were painted brightly colored.