Wu Zhen (painter)

Wu Zhen (simplified Chinese: 吴镇; traditional Chinese: 吳鎮; pinyin: Wú Zhèn) (courtesy name: Zhonggui 仲圭；art name: Meihuadaoren 梅花道人) (1280–1354 C.E.) was a Chinese painter during the Yuan dynasty.^[1] He was best known for being one of the Four Masters of the Yuan.^[2]

He was born in Weitang (now known as Chengguan). Most of his family is unknown.^[3]

Zhen graduated being educated in philosophy and swordsmanship. Shortly after his graduation, he chose to become a painter. His paintings did not sell well, but he had close friends who taught him how to paint, including Wu Guan, Zhang Guan, and Tao Zhongyi.^[4]

Many of Zhen's artworks were landscape paintings and paintings of bamboo.^[4] He also occasionally inserted poems into his artworks, which also helped him become better at calligraphy, poetry and artwork simultaneously.^[3]

• 
  Wu Zhen, Hermit Fisherman on Lake Dongting
• 
  Wu Zhen, Fisherman, National Palace Museum

• Landscapes Clear and Radiant: The Art of Wang Hui (1632–1717), an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Wu Zhen (see index)

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