This is the caption of image number 1Tang Yin (1470-1523), Ming dynasty (1368-1644)
Undated, hanging scroll, ink and color on thin silk, 124.7 x 63.6 cm

 

Tang Yin was born into a merchant's family in Suzhou. He attempted a local civil service examination in 1498 in Nanjing and took top honors. The following year, when he went to Beijing for the national examination, he was implicated in a case of bribery, fell into disgrace and was banned for life from taking the imperial examinations. After his return to Suzhou, he made a living by selling his paintings. He was a versatile painter proficient in a variety of themes, including landscape, bird and flowers, and figures. His early paintings showed his debt to Shen Zhou (1427-1509) and Wen Zhengming (1470-1559). In his thirties, he studied under Zhou Chen (act. ca. 1500-1535) and inherited the technical painting legacy from what Dong Qichang would call the "Southern school" (nanzong). Later Tang Yin incorporated various styles of Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1206-1368) painting masters into his original style. He painted both meticulous and freehand landscapes. The free sketch painting style was influenced by his teacher Zhou Chen and derived from the imposing Southern Song (1127-1279) academic style, tinged with his typical delicacy and elegance. Tang's fine brushwork paintings were highly original and imbued with scholar-amateur spirit. This group of landscapes is characterized by simplicity, clarity and ingenuity. His figure paintings feature a variety of techniques, including fine outline and dark color, fine outline and pale color, outline drawing without color, and ink monochrome free sketch. He was one of the "Four Masters of the Wu school", together with Shen Zhou (1427-1509), Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), and Qiu Ying (ca. 1505-1552). An accomplished poet, he was known as one of the "Four Literary Masters of the Jiangnan Region", which also included Xu Zhenqing (1479-1511), Zhu Yunming (1460-1526), and Wen Zhengming (1470-1559). (Editor:admin)