Wei Xian
Master of precise architectural painting
Wei Xian(卫贤) (active in the 10th century), a painter of the Southern Tang during the Five Dynasties, was from Jingzhao (present-day Xi’an, Shaanxi). He served as an imperial painter during the reign of Li Yu, the last ruler of Southern Tang. He was good at architectural painting, initially studying under Yin Jizhao, later learning from Wu Daozi. He was especially skilled in painting towers, temples, and water-powered mills, with precise proportions and no hint of awkwardness. The "Xuanhe Huapu" praised him as the best architectural painter of the Tang and Five Dynasties period. He was also competent in landscape painting. His surviving work, "Portrait of a Recluse," is a silk color painting, 134.5 cm tall and 52.5 cm wide, depicting the story of Liang Hong and his wife from the Eastern Han Dynasty, carrying trays to show respect to each other. The rocks are painted with detailed texture using dry brush techniques, and the houses and furniture are outlined with ruled brush for a sense of depth. It is currently housed in the Palace Museum and still has inscriptions by Emperor Huizong of Song and the seven Xuanhe seals. Another work, "Watermill Workshop," shows a water mill scene, though its authenticity is debated among scholars. He also painted "Fishing Along the Spring River," for which Li Yu wrote two poems titled "Fisherman’s Song." The "Xuanhe Huapu" lists 25 of his works, including "Snow Palace" and "Shu Road."