The Four Great Masters of Yuan Dynasty (元四大家)

Huang Gongwang (黄公望) (1269–1354), Wu Zhen (吳鎮) (1280-1354), Ni Zan (倪瓚) (1301–1374) and Wang Meng (王蒙) (c1308 – 1385) were known as ‘The Four Great Masters of Yuan Dynasty’ (元四大家). They mostly painted on paper instead of on silk. Their painting styles and brushstrokes greatly affected the latter artists throughout centuries.

Huang Gongwang (黄公望) (1269–1354) (Zi: Zi Jiu, 子久, Hao: Dao Chi 大痴, Yifeng Daoren 一峰道人, original name: Lu Jian 陸堅). He was born in Pingjiang Lu (平江路), Changshu Zhou (常熟州), now Changshu (常熟市), Jiangsu Province (江蘇省).

Huang Gongwang (黄公望)(1269-1354) Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (富春山居圖) (The Master Wuyong Scroll 無用卷), handscroll, ink on paper, 33 x 636.9 cm, National Palace Museum. https://www.npm.gov.tw/exh100/fuchun/en_02_1.html
Huang Gongwang(黄公望)(1269-1354) Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (富春山居圖) (The Remaining Mountain 剩山圖), handscroll, ink on paper, 31.8 x 51.4 cm, Zhejiang Provincial Museum. https://www.npm.gov.tw/exh100/fuchun/en_02_2.html

Huang Gongwang was famous for his hemp-fibre ts’un (披麻皴) and alum rock ts’un (礬頭皴).

 

Wu Zhen (吳鎮) (1280-1354) was born in Jiaxing (嘉興), Zhejiang (浙江).

Wu Zhen (吳鎮) (1280-1354) Hermit Fisherman at Lake Tung Ting (洞庭漁隱), ink on paper, 146.4 x 58.6 cm, National Palace Museum

Wu Zhen was also famous for his hemp-fibre ts’un (披麻皴).

 

Ni Zan (倪瓚) (1301–1374) (Zi: 元鎮, Hao: 雲林) was born in Wuxi (無錫),  Zhejiang Province (浙江省).

Ni Zan (倪瓚) (1301–1374) Six Gentlemen (六君子圖) (1345), ink on paper, 61.9 x 33.3 cm, Shanghai Museum

Ni Zan was famous for his bent ribbon ts’un (折帶皴).

 

Wang Meng (王蒙) (c1308 – 1385) (Zi: Shūmíng 叔明, Hao: Xiāngguāng Jushi 香光居士,  Huang He Shan Qiao 黄鶴山樵). He was born in Wuxing (吳興), now known as Huzhou (湖州), Zhejiang Province (浙江省).

Wang Meng (王蒙) (c1308 – 1385) Dwelling in the Qingbian Mountains (青卞隐居圖), ink on paper, 140.6 x 42.2 cm, Shanghai Museum

Wang Meng was famous for his ox-hair ts’un (牛毛皴) and loosened-rope ts’un (解索皴)

Some Other Great Masters of Yuan Dynasty’ (其他元朝大家) 

Gao Kegong (高克恭) (1248-1310), Zhao Mengfu (趙孟頫) (1254–1322), Cao Zhibai (曹知白), Fang Congyi (方從義) and Sheng Mao (盛懋) are a few of the great masters of landscape painting in the Yuan Dynasty.

 

Gao Kegong (高克恭) (1248-1310) Cloud-girdled Peaks (雲横秀岭圖軸), ink and light colour on silk, hanging scroll, 182.3 x 106.7 cm, National Palace Museum (台北故宫博物院)

 

Zhao Mengfu (趙孟頫) (1254–1322) Autumn colours on the Qiao and Hua mountains (鵲華秋色), ink and colour on paper, handscroll, 28.4 x 93.2 cm, , National Palace Museum (台北故宫博物院)

 

Cao Zhibai (曹知白) (1271-1355) Snowy Mountains (雪山圖軸), ink on silk, hanging scroll, 97.1 x 55.3 cm, National Palace Museum (台北故宫博物院)

 

Fang Congyi (方從義) (1302-1393) Kao Kao Pavilion (高高亭圖軸), ink on paper, 62.1 x 27.9 cm, National Palace Museum (台北故宫博物院), ink on silk, hanging scroll, 97.1 x 55.3 cm, National Palace Museum (台北故宫博物院)

Sheng Mao (盛懋), dates of birth and death unknown, Fishing in Autumn (秋舸清嘯圖軸), ink and light colour on silk, hanging scroll, 167.5 x 102.4 cm, Shanghai Museum (上海博物館)

Bibliography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huang_Gongwang

https://www.npm.gov.tw/exh100/fuchun/en_02_1.html

https://www.npm.gov.tw/exh100/fuchun/en_02_2.html

http://www.comuseum.com/painting/masters/huang-gongwang/dwelling-in-the-fuchun-mountains/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Zhen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Meng_(artist)

http://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%8E%8B%E8%92%99/2069307

https://baike.baidu.com/pic/%E7%8E%8B%E8%92%99/2069307/0/a2cc7cd98d1001e970dd0b38b00e7bec54e79727?fr=lemma&ct=single#aid=0&pic=a2cc7cd98d1001e970dd0b38b00e7bec54e79727

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gao_Kegong

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhao_Mengfu

http://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%9B%B9%E7%9F%A5%E7%99%BD (曹知白)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fang_Congyi