Ni Zan

1301-1374 Chinese

Sparse, elegant landscapes with dry brushwork

Ni Zan(倪瓒) (1301 or 1306–December 13, 1374), originally named Ni Ting(倪珽), first styled Taiyu(泰宇), later styled Yuanzhen(元镇), with the pseudonym Yunlin(云林), and other aliases including Yunlin Jushi(云林居士), Yunlinzi(云林子), Huanxazi(幻霞子), Ququansou(曲全叟), Zhu Yangguanzhu(朱阳馆主), Jingmanmin(荆蛮民), and Donghai Lansheng(东海懒生), called himself 'Lazy Zan' and was also known as 'Ni Yu', was born in Qituo Village, Meili Township, Wuxi, Jiangsu (modern Wuxi, Jiangsu). He was a painter and poet from the late Yuan to early Ming dynasty. Ni Zan lost his father at an early age and was raised by his elder brother Ni Zhaokui. His family was well-off in his youth. In the fifth year of the Tai Ting era of the Yuan dynasty (1328), after Ni Zhaokui passed away, the family lost its support, and Ni Zan had to take on the responsibility of managing the household. Over the next twenty or so years, he faced financial difficulties and gradually developed a desire for seclusion. In the eleventh year of the Zhizheng era (1351), peasant uprisings broke out at the end of the Yuan dynasty. Ni Zan took refuge at Chongju Temple in Yixing; the next year, his hometown was engulfed in war. Coupled with the heavy taxation from the government, he eventually spent all his wealth, abandoned his home, and lived a life of drifting—often sailing on lakes or staying in temples. His later years were marked by solitude and hardship. Ni Zan passed away from illness on December 13, 1374, at the age of 74. In his landscape painting, he followed Dong Yuan’s methods and also incorporated the brushwork styles of Jing Hao and Guan Tong. His brushwork was simple, strong, and angular, and he created the unique 'folded ribbon' technique to depict rocks. For trees, he drew inspiration from Li Cheng’s style. Many of his works depicted the scenery of Taihu Lake, featuring clear, sparse, and understated landscapes with an elegant, simple charm. He claimed to paint freely and expressively, without strict adherence to realism. His unique brushwork and style had a profound influence on literati ink landscape painting during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In calligraphy, he began with ancient clerical script and later followed the style of the 'Two Wangs'. Later generations grouped him together with Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, and Wang Meng, calling them the 'Four Great Masters of the Yuan'. Some of Ni Zan’s works include 'Riverside Viewing Mountains', 'Stream and Mountain', 'The Six Gentlemen', and 'Pine Forest Pavilion'. Twelve of his short quatrains survive, and he authored the collection 'Qingbi Ge Ji'. In 1962, UNESCO named him one of the 'Four Great Cultural Figures of the World' for that year in commemoration.