Zhao Mengfu

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For the impact crater on Mercury, see Chao Meng-Fu (crater).

Autumn colors on the Qiao and Hua mountains (left half)

A Man and His Horse in the Wind, by Zhao Mengfu.

Zhao Mengfu (traditional Chinese: 趙孟頫; simplified Chinese: 赵孟俯; pinyin: Zhào Mèngfǔ; Wade-Giles: Chao Meng-fu, 1254–1322) courtesy name Ziang (子昂), pseudonyms Songxue (松雪, "Pine Snow"), Oubo (鸥波, "Gull Waves"), and Shuijing-gong Dao-ren (水精宫道人, "Master of the Crystal Palace"), was a prince and descendant of the Song Dynasty, and a Chinese scholar, painter and calligrapher during the Yuan Dynasty.

He was married to Guan Daosheng, who was also an accomplished poet, painter and calligrapher. His rejection of the refined, gentle brushwork of his era in favour of the cruder style of the eighth century is considered to have brought about a revolution that created the modern Chinese landscape painting. He was known for his paintings of horses. His landscapes are also considered to be done in a style that focuses more on a literal laying of ground. Rather than organizing them in a foreground, middle ground, and background pattern he layers middle grounds at various heights to create a sense of depth. This pattern of organization makes his paintings appear very simple and approachable. It was this characteristic that so many people valued about his style.