Li Zhaodao
Refined blue-green landscapes with intricate detail
Li Zhaodao(李昭道) (675–758), courtesy name Xijun, was from Longxi Chengji (present-day Qin'an County, Gansu Province). He was a member of the Tang royal family and a painter, a sixth-generation descendant of Tang's founding emperor Li Hu, and the son of Duke Pengguo, Li Sixun(李思训). He entered officialdom through family connections, starting as an officer in the Taiyuan Prefecture Granary, later became a direct scholar at the Jixian Academy, and eventually served as a Palace Attendant to the Crown Prince. He passed away in the first year of the Qianyuan era at the age of 84. He was skilled in green-and-blue landscape painting and was commonly known as 'Little General Li.' He was also good at painting birds, animals, pavilions, and figures, and even pioneered seascapes. His painting style was refined and delicate; even though his figures were tiny, their features were clearly depicted. Because his works were often intricate with fine lines, some critics believed his brushwork was not as strong as his father Li Sixun's. He once created 'The Qin King Hunts Alone.' Among his works are 'Coast Scenery' and 'Picking Melons,' with six pieces recorded in the 'Xuanhe Painting Catalogue.' One surviving work is the scroll 'Travelers in the Spring Mountains,' which is listed in 'Three Hundred Famous Paintings of the Palace Museum' and the scroll 'Emperor Minghuang's Journey to Shu,' and it is currently housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.