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Who were the Four Masters of the Yuan dynasty?
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Chinese painting
Drawing of ancestral offering scenes (ritual archery, sericulture, hunting, and warfare) cast on a ceremonial bronze hu, 6th–5th century bc, Zhou dynasty. In the Palace Museum, Peking.
The Four Masters of the Yuan dynasty were a group of influential Chinese landscape painters who worked during the Yuan period (1206–1368). They are celebrated as the primary exponents of "literati painting" (wenrenhua), a style that prioritized individual expression, intellectual depth, and personal ideals over realistic representation or decorative appeal.123
The four artists are:
- Huang Gongwang: A Daoist recluse known for his dynamic brushwork and profound feeling of oneness with nature, most notably in his masterpiece, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains.13
- Wu Zhen: A poet and diviner who utilized blunt brushwork and minimal motion to convey a sense of calm, drawing inspiration from earlier masters like Dong Yuan and Juran.13
- Ni Zan: A former gentleman and bibliophile who developed an austere, minimalist style, often eliminating human figures to achieve a sense of monumental calm.13
- Wang Meng: A grandson of the influential artist Zhao Mengfu, known for his dense, energetic, and complex brushwork that evoked a sense of antiquity.13
Their innovative approaches became the most influential models for Chinese painting in subsequent centuries.23