Shen Zhou

"Poet on a Mountaintop" by Shen Zhou. Album leaf. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City.
  • Born: 1427
  • Died: 1509
  • Chinese: 沈周 (Shěn Zhōu)

Shen Zhou was a Ming Dynasty painter, one of the pioneers of the Suzhou-based Wu school of painting.

He lived on an estate some short distance from Suzhou city proper, and is known as both a skilled calligrapher and poet, in addition to being known for his painting. He drew upon Yuan Dynasty traditions, but also developed his own distinctive style.

References

  • Conrad Schirokauer, et al, A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations, Fourth Edition, Cengage Learning (2012), 256.