Wang Shichang
Ming Zhe School landscape and figure painter
Wang Shichang(王世昌), courtesy name Shiyong(時雍) (also written as Chouyong(畴雍)), art name Lishan(歷山), was from Jinan, Shandong, and a painter in the Ming Dynasty. He specialized in landscapes and figures, with his painting style deriving from the court-influenced Zhejiang school. In the 12th year of the Chenghua period (1486), Wang Shichang and Wu Wei were both summoned to serve in the imperial painting academy. His landscapes feature vigorous and grand brushwork, while his figure paintings are marked by swift, strong strokes and solid structure. Some of his surviving works include 'Visiting the Recluse by a Scholar,' 'A Scholar Chanting in Autumn,' 'Pine-Shaded Study,' and 'Landscape.' In 2019, research confirmed that 'Village in Evening Mist,' held at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, is also his work. In the 20th year of the Jiajing period (1541), Li Kaixian gave some commentary on Wang Shichang in his 'Zhonglu Painting Grades.'