Gu An
Master of graceful S-curve ink bamboo
Gu An(顾安) (1289–1365), courtesy name Dingzhi(定之), also known as the Yuna Elder(迂讷老人), was originally from Huaidong and later lived in Pingjiang (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu). He was a painter during the Yuan dynasty and eventually served as a judge in the Quanzhou Circuit Secretariat. He was skilled at painting ink bamboo, following in the styles of Li Kan, Zhao Mengfu, and Gao Kegong. Gu An's ink bamboo paintings often feature 'S'-shaped compositions, full of graceful curves. Some of his surviving works include "Secluded Bamboo and Elegant Stones" and "Bamboo and Stones," with "Secluded Bamboo and Elegant Stones" now housed in the Palace Museum. Gu An, along with artists like Ke Jiusi and Wu Zhen, was famous for ink bamboo work in the Yuan dynasty, and his works were included in the "Seven Gentlemen" painting collection.