Wen Zhengming

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wen Zhengming (Wade Giles: Wen Cheng-ming) (文徵明 pinyin: Wén Zhēngmíng, 1470–1559), a leading Ming dynasty painter, calligrapher, and scholar.

Born in Wuxian (present-day Suzhou), he claimed to be a descendant of the Song dynasty prime minister and patriot Wen Tianxiang. Wen Zhengming’s family was originally from the Hengyang/Hengshan area of Hukuang (present-day Hunan), where the Wen family had established itself shortly after the year AD 1000. Not until the time of Wen Zhengming's great-grandfather, Wen Hui, a military officer, did the family move to the Suzhou area.

Wen Zhengming often chose painting subjects of great simplicity, like a single tree or rock. His work often brings about a feeling of strength through isolation, which often reflected his discontent with official life. Many of his works also celebrate the contexts of elite social life for which they were created.

Wen Zhengming collaborated in the design of the Humble Administrator's Garden, generally considered one of China's four greatest gardens.