Yun Xiang (1586-1655), a renowned artist, poet, and writer of ancient prose, was also a master of landscape painting. Known by several names such as Benchu, Daosheng, Shuchen, Xiangshan, and Xiangshan Weng, he hailed from Wujin, presently known as Changzhou in Jiangsu Province.
Zhang Yuanju, also known as Maoxian and Wuhu, was a skilled painter whose birth and death dates remain a mystery. Hailing from Wuxian County, now part of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, Zhang drew inspiration from the biography of his maternal ancestor Chen Daofu. He had a remarkable talent for painting flowers and birds, which he portrayed in a vivid and charming manner. Despite offers of money and silk, Zhang preferred to indulge in good wine. He also possessed a free-flowing writing style, which he inherited from the elegant Ming Dynasty.
Chen Yuanyu was a talented artist proficient in poetry, calligraphy and painting, particularly in landscapes and ink orchids. He was born in Changzhou (now Suzhou, Jiangsu Province), the dates of his birth and death are unknown. His painting of orchids depicted the leaves tilted upwards, capturing the beauty of Wen Zhengming with elegance and grace vividly reflected on the paper. The painting is inscribed with the words "In the late winter of Gengxu, Chen Yuanzhu made the rain", followed by two chapters in Zhu's "Xiaoping" and "Chen Yuanyuan's Seal". A supplementary inscription is present in the middle left of the painting, stating that a Jinling beauty painted orchids ten years ago, which resembled the work of a maid. The lady's name was not known, but the public inscribed the poem, and her daughter immediately became famous. The title of the painting is "Su", with the seal "Chen Jingang Seal" written in white underneath it.
Lu Ji was an artist of great talent, born in 1477 in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China. He was known by his courtesy name Tingzhen and his nickname Leyu. Lu Ji served as an official in the command of Jin Yiwei and was renowned for his skill in painting flowers and birds. He received his education under Bian Jingzhao and attended the Academy of the Southern Song Dynasty. His paintings often featured a variety of eye-catching birds and flowers, including phoenixes, cranes, peacocks, and mandarin ducks, which were popular in ancient times.
Wu Wei, courtesy name Shiying and aliases Ciweng, Lufu, and Xiaoxian, was a native of Jiangxia (now Wuhan, Hubei). As a prominent master of the "Zhejiang School" following Dai Jin, he was renowned for his expertise in figure and landscape painting. In his early years, Wu Wei's style was meticulous and detailed, but in middle age, his work evolved into bold, vigorous brushwork that exuded freedom and expressiveness. He was later celebrated as the founder of the "Jiangxia School."
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