#ni zan

Ni Zan, Rongxi Studio, 1372, ink on paper.
Ni Zan (1301-1374) is considered to be one of the four great masters of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). Despite this his output as an artist was very limited and he chose similar motifs for each piece, making him in a sense the original Chinese series painter. His work often included mountains, shelter, trees and water but executed in a sparing style which boarded on offhanded, however his sparse technique somehow exudes a wistful atmosphere which is unique in itself.
As well as this Ni Zan was one of the pioneers in the concept of the three perfections, poetry, calligraphy and painting. Promoting the idea that a picture inscribed with a poem written in a complementary calligraphic style enhances the aesthetic accomplishment of the piece.