Four Masters of Ming Artist. The Four Masters of the Ming dynasty are a traditional grouping in Chinese art history of four famous Chinese painters of the Ming dynasty.
The group are Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming, both of the Wu School, Tang Yin, and Qiu Ying. They were approximate contemporaries, with Shen Zhou the teacher of Wen Zhengming, while the other two studied with Zhou Chen.
Their styles and subject matter were varied. 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. 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 era, and has continued to be applied since then. The painters were friends when they were living, and were very familiar with each other's work. Their family backgrounds varied; Tang Yin was born into a rich merchant family, Wen Zhengming was born into a bureaucratic family and was himself a government official. Qiu Ying was a craftsman of dyes and lacquers. Shen Zhou was one of the main founders of the Wu School of painting. Shen's early mentor was Du Qiong, and Shen's paternal grandfather was a friend of Wang Meng, an artist of the late Yuan dynasty. Shen's father and uncle were both painters. Both Shen Zhou and Qiu Ying were most ac
The group are Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming, both of the Wu School, Tang Yin, and Qiu Ying. They were approximate contemporaries, with Shen Zhou the teacher of Wen Zhengming, while the other two studied with Zhou Chen.
Their styles and subject matter were varied. 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. 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 era, and has continued to be applied since then. The painters were friends when they were living, and were very familiar with each other's work. Their family backgrounds varied; Tang Yin was born into a rich merchant family, Wen Zhengming was born into a bureaucratic family and was himself a government official. Qiu Ying was a craftsman of dyes and lacquers. Shen Zhou was one of the main founders of the Wu School of painting. Shen's early mentor was Du Qiong, and Shen's paternal grandfather was a friend of Wang Meng, an artist of the late Yuan dynasty. Shen's father and uncle were both painters. Both Shen Zhou and Qiu Ying were most ac
Wikipedia ...