The Four Masters of the Ming dynasty () are a traditional grouping in Chinese art history of four famous
Chinese painter
Chinese painting () is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. Painting in the traditional style is known today in Chinese as ''guó huà'' (), meaning "national painting" or "native painting", as opposed to Western style ...
s that lived during the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
. The group consists of
Shen Zhou (1427–1509),
Wen Zhengming (1470–1559),
Tang Yin
Tang Yin (; 1470–1524), courtesy name Bohu (), was a Chinese painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Ming dynasty period. Even though he was born during the Ming dynasty, many of his paintings, especially those of people, were illustrated with el ...
(1470–1523), and
Qiu Ying
Qiu Ying (; 1494 – 1552)Cihai page 211. was a Chinese painter of the Ming dynasty who specialised in the ''gongbi'' brush technique.
Early life
Qiu Ying's courtesy name was Shifu (), and his art name
An art name (pseudonym or pen name) ...
(c.1494–c.1552).
They were contemporaries, with Shen being the teacher of Wen, while Tang and Qiu was taught by
Zhou Chen
Zhou Chen (; 1460–1535), also known as Chou Ch'en, was a Chinese painter active during the middle of the Ming Dynasty. He was born in 1460 in Suzhou in the Jiangsu province.
Zhou's style name was 'Shunqing' and his sobriquet was 'Dongchun'. He ...
(1460–1535). All five of the aforementioned painters were part of the
Wu School.
Their styles and subject matter were varied. Qiu was solely a painter, while the other three developed distinct styles of painting, calligraphy, and poetry.
Other names
There are several alternative terms for these four leading painters:
* Four Great Masters of the Ming ()
* Four Masters of Suzhou: all four came from the vicinity of
Suzhou
Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...
[Rawson, p. 340]
* Four Masters of Wu (): all four came from the region of
Wu, which surrounds the city of Suzhou
The "Four Masters" designation was first used in the mid-Ming dynasty, probably during the
Jiajing
Jiajing () (28 January 1522 – 8 February 1567) was the era name of the Jiajing Emperor, the 12th emperor of the Ming dynasty of China.
Comparison table
Other eras contemporaneous with Jiajing
* China
** ''Tianyuan'' (天淵, 1546): Ming peri ...
era, and has continued to be applied since then.
The painters
Some of the painters were friends when they were living, and were familiar with each other's works. Their family backgrounds varied,
Tang Yin
Tang Yin (; 1470–1524), courtesy name Bohu (), was a Chinese painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Ming dynasty period. Even though he was born during the Ming dynasty, many of his paintings, especially those of people, were illustrated with el ...
was born into a poor merchant background, while Wen Zhengming's father had strong connections and became a patron to Tang, suggesting a relatively prosperous family status.
Both Tang and Wen were also skilled in poetry and calligraphy.
Shen Zhou was born in a respected and wealthy family. He was one of the main founders of the
Wu School of painting and was also a poet, essayist and calligrapher.
Wen studied painting with Shen while Tang and Qiu studied with Zhou Chen, all of whom from the Wu School and made major painting revival techniques from their predecessors.
Shen was most accomplished in ''
shan shui'' painting and painted in a firm well-structured painting technique, probably following the techniques of
Wang Ming
Wang may refer to:
Names
* Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname
* Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname
* Titles in Chinese nobility
* A title in Korean nobility
* A title in Mongolian nobility
Places
* Wang River in Thailand ...
.
While Tang was accomplished in painting landscapes and semi-cursive script.
Wen studied under the tutelage of Shen and would have borrowed painting techniques from him.
Except for Qiu, the other three painters were accomplished
calligraphers
Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...
and
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
s.
See also
*
Four Masters of the Yuan dynasty
The Four Masters of the Yuan dynasty () is a name used to collectively describe the four Chinese painters: Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, Ni Zan, and Wang Meng, who were active during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). They were revered during the Ming ...
*
Six Masters of the early Qing period
The Six Masters of the early Qing period () were a group of major Chinese artists who worked in the 17th and early 18th centuries during the Qing dynasty. Also known as orthodox masters, they continued the tradition of the scholar-painter, followi ...
(
Four Wangs
The Four Wangs () were four Chinese landscape painters in the 17th century, all with the surname Wang. They are best known for their accomplishments in ''shan shui'' painting.
The painters
They were Wang Shimin (1592–1680), Wang Jian (159 ...
)
*
Ming dynasty painting
*
Ink and wash painting
Ink wash painting ( zh, t=水墨畫, s=水墨画, p=shuǐmòhuà; ja, 水墨画, translit=suiboku-ga or ja, 墨絵, translit=sumi-e; ko, 수묵화, translit=sumukhwa) is a type of Chinese ink brush painting which uses black ink, such as tha ...
*
Bird-and-flower painting
Bird-and-flower painting, called () in Chinese, is a kind of Chinese painting with a long tradition in China and is considered one of the treasures of Chinese culture. The was named after its subject matter. It originated in the Tang dynasty wh ...
*
Four Arts of the Chinese Scholar
The four arts (wiktionary:四, 四wiktionary:藝, 藝, ''siyi''), or the four arts of the Chinese scholar, were the four main academic and artistic talents required of the aristocratic ancient Chinese scholar-official, scholar-gentleman. They wer ...
Notes
External links
Tang Yin: One of the Four Masters of Ming dynasty* Book
;
In Full Flower. Painting with Words: Gentleman Artists of the Ming Dynasty
References
*
Rawson, Jessica (ed). ''The British Museum Book of Chinese Art'', 2007 (2nd edn), British Museum Press,
{{Ming dynasty topics
Ming dynasty painters
Culture in Jiangsu
History of Suzhou
Quartets