Wen Zhengming
Ming dynasty painter, calligrapher, and poet.
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Unknown authorUnknown author · via Wikipedia: Wen Zhengming · Public domain
Born on 28 November 1470, Wen Zhengming, originally named Wen Bi, was a Ming dynasty poet, calligrapher, and painter.[1][2] His birthplace was near what is now Suzhou, and his birth date was 28 November 1470.[2]
Life and work
His father, Wen Lin, passed the imperial examination as a jinshi when Zhengming was two years old.[2] Wen Gui, his older brother, arrived in 1469.[2] After Wen Lin secured a magistrate post in Yongjia County, he departed, entrusting his sons to his wife Qi Shenning.[2] His art name, Hengshan, came from that location.[3][2]
In 1489, Shen Zhou, who founded the Wu school, became Wen Zhengming's teacher.[4] Around 1490, Wen Zhengming wed the daughter of the official Wu Yu.[2] As a literatus of the Wu school, he opposed the professional Zhejiang style.[5]
What the cited sources add
Wen Zhengming's epitaph by Huang Zuo records his birth on the 6th day of the 11th month of the geng'yin year and his death on the 20th day of the 2nd month of the ji'wei year.[1] Tang Yin, a contemporary of Wen Zhengming, received patronage from Wen Lin.[5] Shen Zhou wrote a biography of Wen Lin for his funeral at Zhengming's request.[2] Xia Chang, the uncle of Wen's wife, created bamboo paintings that might have influenced Wen.[2]
Following his wife's 1542 death, Wen created Wintry Trees after Li Cheng for a visitor who brought a condolence gift.[2] By 1541, Wen Zhengming was considered China's top calligrapher, especially in regular and semi-cursive scripts.[6]
References
- Wikipedia, "Wen Zhengming" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wen Zhengming's epitaph (将仕郎翰林院待诏衡山文征仲先生墓志铭) by Huang Zuo (黄佐) indicate that he was born on the 6th day of the 11th month of the geng'yin year during the reign ; Wen Zhengming's epitaph by Huang Zuo indicate that he died on the 20th day of the 2nd month of the ji'wei year during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor. (嘉靖己未二月二 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Wen Zhengming" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Clunas 2004, p. 19–23 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Wen Zhengming" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Clunas 2004, p. 19–23; Clunas 2004, p. 19–23 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Wen Zhengming" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Clunas 2013, p. 29 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Wen Zhengming" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Watson 2000, p. 198 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Wen Zhengming" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Clunas, "Wen Zhengming’s Wintry Trees: Mourning and Reciprocity", HENI Talks; Levenson 1991, p. 356 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Wen Zhengming (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Wen Zhengming (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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