Zhao Mengfu (1254~1322), was one of the most famous and important calligrapher and painter in Chinese art history. He lived in the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) and was a descendant of the previous Song Dynasty’s (960–1279) imperial family.
Though occasionally condemned for having served in the foreign Mongol court as an high level official, Zhao Mengfu has been honored as an early master within the tradition of the literati painters, who sought personal expression rather than the representation of nature.
Zhao Mengfu’s paintings were among the first after the collapse of the Song dynasty and its academy of painting to show an interest derived from subjects and styles of ancient masters. 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 in the manner of the Tang dynasty (618–907) master Han Gan (韩幹), and he also painted other animal groups, landscapes, and bamboos.
Zhao Mengu’s 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.Among his most famous landscape paintings are Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains (鹊华秋色图 )[National Palace Museum, Taipei], Twin Pines Level Distance (双松平远图) [The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York], and Water Village (水村图) [The Palace Museum, Beijing].
In calligraphy, Zhao Mengfu rejected the gentle brushwork of his era in favor of the cruder style of the Jin and Tang dynasties. In his early years, Zhao Mengfu studied the style of the Song dynasty emperor Gaozong, but later turned to the styles of Wang Xizhi (王羲之) and Wang Xianzhi (王献之), in the end studying that of Li Yong (李邕). Zhao’s calligraphy is elegant, well-structured, and mellow. His Regular Script is considered one of the top four in the Chinese history. The other three Regular Script masters are Yan Zhenqing (颜真卿), Liu Gongquan (柳公权), and Ouyang Xun (欧阳询).
He was married to Guan Daosheng (管道生, 1262~1319), who was also an accomplished poet, painter and calligrapher in her own right. Her primary subjects were bamboo, flowers, and birds — themes considered to be “minor” by Chinese connoisseurs — so she was not accorded much attention in traditional times. Guan’s later paintings were influenced by her devotion to Chan Buddhism.
Zhao Mengfu and Guan Daosheng had several sons. The second son, Zhao Yong (赵雍), and their grandson Zhao Lin (赵麟) also became famous painters. Zhao Mengfu was also the maternal grandfather of Wang Meng (王蒙), another famous painter, one of the four master of Yuan Dynasty.
Painting List of Zhao Mengfu==>