Gao Kegong
Master of Yuan ink landscape painting
Gao Kegong(高克恭) (1248–1310), courtesy name Yanjing(彦敬), art name Fangshan(房山), was a native of Semu, and now belongs to the Hui ethnicity. His ancestors came from the Western Regions, first settling in Datong, then moving to Yanjing (now Beijing), with their ancestral home in the Western Regions (now Xinjiang). An official, painter, and poet of the Yuan dynasty. Gao Kegong was intelligent and studious from a young age, inheriting his family's traditions, diligently studying, and extensively reading classics and histories. In the twelfth year of Zhiyuan (1275), he was appointed as a clerk in the Ministry of Works through the capital's tribute, and the following year was appointed as a principal official in the Ministry of Revenue. In the twenty-fourth year of Zhiyuan (1287), he was appointed as a Censor. In the 28th year of Zhiyuan (1291), he was appointed Director of the Left and Right Departments of Jiangzhe Province. He was praised for his integrity and efficiency. In the first year of Dade (1297), he was transferred to Deputy Inspector of Shanxi and Hebei Circuits, then transferred to Censor of the Jiangnan Administrative Office. During his tenure, he proposed "revitalizing schools, selecting true talent, dismissing redundant officials, increasing officials' salaries, and carefully advocating for the establishment of the imperial examination system for selecting officials." In the third year of Dade (1299), he entered the court as Vice Minister of Works, later transferred to Vice Minister of Personnel and Vice Minister of Justice, and was promoted to Minister of Justice. In the ninth year of Dade (1305), he was transferred to serve as Grand Master of the Palace and Chief Administrator of Daming Circuit. He was honest and devoted to public service, punishing corrupt officials. In the third year of Zhida (1310), Gao Kegong returned to the capital, but soon after passed away south of Yanjing at the age of sixty-three. Posthumous title: 'Wenjian'. Gao Kegong served as an official for many years. During his tenure, he cared for the people, provided relief to disaster victims, redressed wrongful convictions, reformed the bureaucracy, feared the powerful, and upheld justice. He excelled in landscape painting and ink bamboo painting. His landscape painting initially studied under Mi Fu and his son, then followed by the masters of Dong Yuan, Ju Ran, and Li Cheng, integrating and mastering the elements, ultimately forming a unique style characterized by rich brushwork, flowing mist and clouds, and a hazy ink wash style. The ink bamboo school of Wang Tingyun of the Jin dynasty had a rich brushwork and a rich business spirit. He enjoyed a high reputation in the early Yuan art world, as famous as Zhao Mengfu, and was often praised as "Zhao of the South, Gao of the North." There is also a theory that he, along with Zhao Mengfu, Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, Ni Zan, and Wang Meng, are collectively known as the "Six Masters of the Yuan Dynasty." His works include the 'Fangshan Collection' and the 'Gao Wenjian Gong Collection' that have been passed down.