Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty
Encyclopedia
Four Masters of Ming Dynasty (Chinese
: 明四家; Pinyin
: Míng Sì Jiā; "Sì" in Chinese is "four"), is a term to mention four famous painter
s during the Ming Dynasty
era in China
.
, Tang Yin
, Wen Zhengming
, Qiu Ying
. These four were close contemporaries.
There are several alternative terms to mention these four leading painters, as below:
The term was coined first in mid-Ming Dynasty, most possibly created during the Jiajing Era (Jiajing Emperor
), and has been flourished since then.
was a anchoret. Tang Yin
was born in a rich merchant
family. Wen Zhengming was born in a bureaucratic family and himself was a government official. Qiu Ying
was a craftsman
of dye
s and lacquer
s.
Shen Zhou
was one of the main founders of the Wu School
(Wu is the ancient and literal name for south Jiangsu
, now Taihu Lake area) painting, which was originated from Wumen. Shen's early mentor of painting was Du Qiong
(杜琼), and Shen's paternal grandfather was friend of Wang Meng
- an artist during the late-Yuan Dynasty
. Shen's father and uncle were all painters.
Both Shen Zhou
and Qiu Ying
were most accomplished in Shan shui
painting, and they succeed and inherited the painting skills and style of the Imperial Royal Court (so-called Yuan-Ti, 院体). Tang Yin
was an all-rounder
, and was accomplished nearly all topics of traditional Chinese painting
. Wen Zhengming
was accomplished in blue-green shan shui
painting and the fine style (Simplified Chinese: 工笔; Traditional Chinese: 工筆; Pinyin: Gōng Bǐ).
Wen Zhengming and Shen Zhou had teacher-student relationship. Zhou Chen
(周臣) was an important coach in Tang's early career. Qiu Ying was self-learned. The three except Qiu Ying were also classic Chinese scholars (文人). And the three except Qiu Ying were also accomplished calligraphists
and poet
s.
Especially, Tang Yin later became a character in romaunts and very famous in popular culture
.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 明四家; Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Míng Sì Jiā; "Sì" in Chinese is "four"), is a term to mention four famous painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s during the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
era in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
The term
The four leading painters are Shen ZhouShen Zhou
Shen Zhou , courtesy name Qinan , was a Chinese painter in the Ming dynasty.-Life:Shen Zhou was born into a wealthy family in Xiangcheng, near the thriving city of Suzhou, in the Jiangsu province, China...
, Tang Yin
Tang Yin
Tang Yin , better known by his courtesy name Tang Bohu , was a Chinese scholar, painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Ming Dynasty period whose life story has become a part of popular lore...
, Wen Zhengming
Wen Zhengming
Wen Zhengming was a leading Ming Dynasty painter, calligrapher, and scholar.Born in present-day Suzhou, he claimed to be a descendant of the Song Dynasty prime minister and patriot Wen Tianxiang. Wen’s family was originally from Hengyang, Hunan, where his family had established itself shortly...
, Qiu Ying
Qiu Ying
Qiu Ying was a Chinese painter who specialized in the gongbi brush technique.Qiu Ying's courtesy name was Shifu , and his pseudonym was Shizhou . He was born to a peasant family in Taicang and studied painting under Zhou Chen in Suzhou...
. These four were close contemporaries.
There are several alternative terms to mention these four leading painters, as below:
- Four Great Masters of the Ming (Chinese: 明四大家; Pinyin: Míng Sì-dà-jiā; "dà" means "great" here), due to their huge influence on the Chinese painting world during that period and later-on.
- Four Masters of Wumen (Traditional Chinese: 吴門四傢; Simplified Chinese: 吴门四家; PinyinPinyinPinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Wú-mén Sì-jiā). The reason is these four painters their hometowns and families were all originated in Wumen (currently in SuzhouSuzhouSuzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, Jiangsu province), and they were also active there.
The term was coined first in mid-Ming Dynasty, most possibly created during the Jiajing Era (Jiajing Emperor
Jiajing Emperor
The Jiajing Emperor was the 11th Ming Dynasty Emperor of China who ruled from 1521 to 1567. Born Zhu Houcong, he was the former Zhengde Emperor's cousin...
), and has been flourished since then.
The painters
The painters were friends when they are alive and very familiar with each other. They have different family background. Shen ZhouShen Zhou
Shen Zhou , courtesy name Qinan , was a Chinese painter in the Ming dynasty.-Life:Shen Zhou was born into a wealthy family in Xiangcheng, near the thriving city of Suzhou, in the Jiangsu province, China...
was a anchoret. Tang Yin
Tang Yin
Tang Yin , better known by his courtesy name Tang Bohu , was a Chinese scholar, painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Ming Dynasty period whose life story has become a part of popular lore...
was born in a rich merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
family. Wen Zhengming was born in a bureaucratic family and himself was a government official. Qiu Ying
Qiu Ying
Qiu Ying was a Chinese painter who specialized in the gongbi brush technique.Qiu Ying's courtesy name was Shifu , and his pseudonym was Shizhou . He was born to a peasant family in Taicang and studied painting under Zhou Chen in Suzhou...
was a craftsman
Master craftsman
A master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. In the European guild system, only masters were allowed to be members of the guild....
of dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
s and lacquer
Lacquer
In a general sense, lacquer is a somewhat imprecise term for a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish, in any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss and that can be further polished as required...
s.
Shen Zhou
Shen Zhou , courtesy name Qinan , was a Chinese painter in the Ming dynasty.-Life:Shen Zhou was born into a wealthy family in Xiangcheng, near the thriving city of Suzhou, in the Jiangsu province, China...
was one of the main founders of the Wu School
Wu School
Wu or Wumen School is the term applied to a group of painters of the Southern School during the Ming period of Chinese history. It was not an academy or educational institution, but rather a group united largely by the artistic theories of its members...
(Wu is the ancient and literal name for south Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, now Taihu Lake area) painting, which was originated from Wumen. Shen's early mentor of painting was Du Qiong
Du Qiong
Du Qiong ; ca. 1396-1474 was a Chinese landscape painter, calligrapher, and poet during the Ming Dynasty .Du was born in Suzhou in the Jiangsu province and was a distant ancestor of Dong Yuan. His style name was 'Using Excellence" and his pseudonyms were 'Tiller of the Eastern Plaines" and...
(杜琼), and Shen's paternal grandfather was friend of Wang Meng
Wang Meng (artist)
Wang Meng was a Chinese painter during the Yuan Dynasty. He was born in Huzhou , now known as Wuxing , Zhejiang....
- an artist during the late-Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
. Shen's father and uncle were all painters.
Both Shen Zhou
Shen Zhou
Shen Zhou , courtesy name Qinan , was a Chinese painter in the Ming dynasty.-Life:Shen Zhou was born into a wealthy family in Xiangcheng, near the thriving city of Suzhou, in the Jiangsu province, China...
and Qiu Ying
Qiu Ying
Qiu Ying was a Chinese painter who specialized in the gongbi brush technique.Qiu Ying's courtesy name was Shifu , and his pseudonym was Shizhou . He was born to a peasant family in Taicang and studied painting under Zhou Chen in Suzhou...
were most accomplished in Shan shui
Shan shui
Shan shui refers to a style of Chinese painting that involves or depicts scenery or natural landscapes, using a brush and ink rather than more conventional paints. Mountains, rivers and often waterfalls are prominent in this art form.-History:...
painting, and they succeed and inherited the painting skills and style of the Imperial Royal Court (so-called Yuan-Ti, 院体). Tang Yin
Tang Yin
Tang Yin , better known by his courtesy name Tang Bohu , was a Chinese scholar, painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Ming Dynasty period whose life story has become a part of popular lore...
was an all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, and was accomplished nearly all topics of traditional Chinese painting
Chinese painting
Chinese painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. The earliest paintings were not representational but ornamental; they consisted of patterns or designs rather than pictures. Early pottery was painted with spirals, zigzags, dots, or animals...
. Wen Zhengming
Wen Zhengming
Wen Zhengming was a leading Ming Dynasty painter, calligrapher, and scholar.Born in present-day Suzhou, he claimed to be a descendant of the Song Dynasty prime minister and patriot Wen Tianxiang. Wen’s family was originally from Hengyang, Hunan, where his family had established itself shortly...
was accomplished in blue-green shan shui
Blue-green shan shui
The blue-green shan shui , is a Chinese painting style of "Shan shui". It tends to refer a "ancient style" rather than modern ones. The main colour of the painting are blues and greens, and in the early period it was painted by mineral dyes...
painting and the fine style (Simplified Chinese: 工笔; Traditional Chinese: 工筆; Pinyin: Gōng Bǐ).
Wen Zhengming and Shen Zhou had teacher-student relationship. Zhou Chen
Zhou Chen
Zhou Chen , also known as Chou Ch'en, was a famed Chinese painter active during the middle of the Ming Dynasty. He was born in 1460 in Suzhou in the Jiangsu province....
(周臣) was an important coach in Tang's early career. Qiu Ying was self-learned. The three except Qiu Ying were also classic Chinese scholars (文人). And the three except Qiu Ying were also accomplished calligraphists
East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practised and revered in the Sinosphere. This most often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The East Asian calligraphic tradition originated and developed from China. There is a general standardization of the various styles of...
and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
s.
Especially, Tang Yin later became a character in romaunts and very famous in popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
.
See also
- Four Masters of the Yuan DynastyFour Masters of the Yuan DynastyThe Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty is a name used to collectively describe the four Chinese painters Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, Ni Zan, Wang Meng active in the Yuan Dynasty...
- Wu SchoolWu SchoolWu or Wumen School is the term applied to a group of painters of the Southern School during the Ming period of Chinese history. It was not an academy or educational institution, but rather a group united largely by the artistic theories of its members...
- Shen ZhouShen ZhouShen Zhou , courtesy name Qinan , was a Chinese painter in the Ming dynasty.-Life:Shen Zhou was born into a wealthy family in Xiangcheng, near the thriving city of Suzhou, in the Jiangsu province, China...
, Wen ZhengmingWen ZhengmingWen Zhengming was a leading Ming Dynasty painter, calligrapher, and scholar.Born in present-day Suzhou, he claimed to be a descendant of the Song Dynasty prime minister and patriot Wen Tianxiang. Wen’s family was originally from Hengyang, Hunan, where his family had established itself shortly...
, Tang YinTang YinTang Yin , better known by his courtesy name Tang Bohu , was a Chinese scholar, painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Ming Dynasty period whose life story has become a part of popular lore...
, and Qiu YingQiu YingQiu Ying was a Chinese painter who specialized in the gongbi brush technique.Qiu Ying's courtesy name was Shifu , and his pseudonym was Shizhou . He was born to a peasant family in Taicang and studied painting under Zhou Chen in Suzhou... - Ming Dynasty paintingMing Dynasty paintingDuring the Ming Dynasty , Chinese painting developed greatly from the achievements in painted art during the earlier Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty. The painting techniques which were invented and developed before the Ming period became classical during this period. More colours were used in...
- Shan shuiShan shuiShan shui refers to a style of Chinese painting that involves or depicts scenery or natural landscapes, using a brush and ink rather than more conventional paints. Mountains, rivers and often waterfalls are prominent in this art form.-History:...
- Ink and wash paintingInk and wash paintingInk and wash painting is an East Asian type of brush painting also known as ink wash painting. Only black ink — the same as used in East Asian calligraphy — is used, in various concentrations....
- Bird-and-flower paintingBird-and-flower paintingBird-and-flower painting is a kind of Chinese painting named after its subject matter. Normally, most bird-and-flower paintings belong to the scholar-artist style of Chinese painting....
- Four Arts of the Chinese ScholarFour Arts of the Chinese ScholarThe Four Arts of the Chinese Scholar, otherwise known as siyi , is a term used to describe four main accomplishments required of the Chinese scholar gentleman...
External links
- Tang Yin: One of the Four Masters of Ming Dynasty
- Book: Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty ; ISBN 962-7239-42-9