Gu Kaizhi. Gu Kaizhi, courtesy name Changkang, was a Chinese painter and politician.
He was a celebrated painter of ancient China. He was born in Wuxi and first painted at Nanjing in 364.
In 366, he became an officer. Later he was promoted to royal officer.
He was also a talented poet and calligrapher. He wrote three books about painting theory: On Painting, Introduction of Famous Paintings of Wei and Jin Dynasties and Painting Yuntai Mountain.
He wrote: In figure paintings the clothes and the appearances were not very important. The eyes were the spirit and the decisive factor. Gu's art is known today through copies of several silk handscroll paintings attributed to him. Gu Kaizhi was born in Wuxi where his father served in the imperial secretariat as an assistant. At about nineteen he was employed as aide to the Grand Marshal Huan Wen. He held a succession of minor official posts under various leaders of the Eastern Jin court. One emperor under whom Gu Kaizhi served was Huan Xuan. An enthusiastic art collector, ahead of his accession Huan Xuan ordered a big boat to store paintings and other treasures so that they could be easily transported to safety in case of war. Gu Kaizhi entrusted to the emperor a sealed chest with his most precious works. The emperor broke open the box, stole the paintings, then repaired and returned it to the artist with the seals intact. Upon discovering his los
He was a celebrated painter of ancient China. He was born in Wuxi and first painted at Nanjing in 364.
In 366, he became an officer. Later he was promoted to royal officer.
He was also a talented poet and calligrapher. He wrote three books about painting theory: On Painting, Introduction of Famous Paintings of Wei and Jin Dynasties and Painting Yuntai Mountain.
He wrote: In figure paintings the clothes and the appearances were not very important. The eyes were the spirit and the decisive factor. Gu's art is known today through copies of several silk handscroll paintings attributed to him. Gu Kaizhi was born in Wuxi where his father served in the imperial secretariat as an assistant. At about nineteen he was employed as aide to the Grand Marshal Huan Wen. He held a succession of minor official posts under various leaders of the Eastern Jin court. One emperor under whom Gu Kaizhi served was Huan Xuan. An enthusiastic art collector, ahead of his accession Huan Xuan ordered a big boat to store paintings and other treasures so that they could be easily transported to safety in case of war. Gu Kaizhi entrusted to the emperor a sealed chest with his most precious works. The emperor broke open the box, stole the paintings, then repaired and returned it to the artist with the seals intact. Upon discovering his los
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