Fan Xiaofang

• Wu Zishen, originally named Hua Yuan, with the courtesy names Yucun and Zichen, and the pen name Taowu Jushi, was from Suzhou, Jiangsu. He studied art in Japan and came from a prestigious Wu family, known for its extensive collection of Song and Yuan dynasty paintings. Wu Zishen was skilled in landscape painting and orchid and bamboo, and he was a disciple of Gu Yun. He was also well-versed in medicine. His landscape painting was influenced by Dong Yuan from a distant master and closely followed the style of Dong Qichang, with elegant brushwork. His bamboo and stone paintings followed the style of Wen Tong, with a balanced and regulated composition. In calligraphy, he followed the tradition of Mi Fu. Wu Zishen, along with Wu Daiqiu, Wu Hufan, and Wu Guandai, were known as the "Four Wus of Jiangnan," and with Feng Chaoran, they were referred to as "Three Wus and One Feng."