Lan Ying

1585-1664 Chinese

Gedurfde Zhejiang-landschapsmeester

Lan Ying(蓝瑛) (1585-1664, or some say around 1666), styled Tianshu(田叔), also known as Diesou(蝶叟), Shitou Tuo(石头陀), and Dongguo Laonong(东郭老农), was from Qiantang (today's Hangzhou, Zhejiang). He was a painter of the Ming Dynasty, a representative of the Wulin school, and is also noted in art history as a part of the 'Later Zhejiang School.' He was skilled in calligraphy and painting, excelling in landscapes, bird-and-flower paintings, and plum and bamboo subjects, with a particular reputation for landscapes. In his early years, his landscape style was influenced by Song and Yuan masters, especially Huang Gongwang; in mid-life, he combined techniques from both northern and southern traditions; in later years, he developed a strong and bold style, adept in techniques like lotus-leaf texture strokes, twisted-belt strokes, and boneless heavy-color methods. Some of his representative works include 'White Clouds and Red Trees,' 'Autumn High at Mount Hua,' and 'Clear Sounds of Ten Thousand Valleys,' which are now housed in places like the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Shanghai Museum. Lan Ying devoted his life to painting, leaving behind a lineage including his son Lan Meng, grandson Lan Shen, and disciple Liu Du, forming the Wulin school. His works are known for grand compositions, vigorous brushwork, and bright, clean colors. Nearly five hundred of his pieces still exist, some recorded in Ming and Qing catalogs. His style influenced late Ming and early Qing painters like Chen Hongshou and the Eight Masters of Jinling, holding a status alongside Wen Zhengming and Shen Zhou.

Artworks by this artist