Wen Zhengming

Qiu Ying, born to a peasant family in Taicang (now Jiangsu Province), had studied painting under Zhou Chen in Suzhou.

Though Suzhou's Wu School encourages painting in ink washes, Qiu Ying also paints in the green-and-blue style.

He paints with the support of wealthy patrons, creating images of flowers, gardens, religious subjects, and landscapes in the fashions of the Ming Dynasty.

He incorporates different techniques into his paintings, and has acquired a few wealthy patrons.

His talent and versatility allow him to become regarded as one of the Four Great Masters of the Ming Dynasty, together with Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming and Tang Yin.

Wen Zhengming, born in present-day Suzhou, claims 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 after the tenth century.

Not until the time of Wen's great-grandfather, Wen Hui, a military officer, did the family move to the Suzhou area.

Wen often chooses painting subjects of great simplicity, like a single tree or rock.

His work often brings about a feeling of strength through isolation, which often reflect his discontent with official life.

Many of his works also celebrate the contexts of elite social life for which they are created.

He collaborates in the design of the Humble Administrator's Garden, generally considered one of China's four greatest gardens.