Xie Shichen

1487-1567 Chinese

Bold brushwork, elegant water scenes

Xie Shichen(謝時臣) (1487–1567), courtesy name Sizhong(思忠), art name Chuxian(樗仙), was from Wuxian (now Suzhou, Jiangsu). He was a painter and calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. He was talented in poetry, skilled in painting, and proficient in calligraphy, especially in clerical script. His representative works include *Duling Poetic Scene*, *Gathering Scenic Views along Streams and Mountains*, and *Clearing Snow on Wudang*. In his early years, he worked as a student of the Imperial Academy. After failing the imperial examinations, he focused entirely on painting. In the ninth year of the Zhengde era (1514), he went to Nanchang at the invitation of Prince Ning, Zhu Chenhao, but escaped back to Suzhou when Prince Ning rebelled in the fourteenth year of Zhengde (1519). He was active in the Jiangnan literati circles as a professional painter, forming a close friendship with figures like Wen Zhengming and Tang Yin. He inherited the literati painting tradition, emphasizing literary interest, and often incorporated poetry into his paintings. In middle age, he absorbed the strengths of both the Wu and Zhejiang schools, taking inspiration from Wu Zhen, Shen Zhou, and Zhejiang painters Dai Jin and Wu Wei, developing a unique personal style. His works were grand yet fresh and elegant, famous especially for water scenes and long handscrolls, characterized by bold brushwork and light colors. In his later years, he often traveled to famous mountains and rivers, calling himself a 'traveling buddy,' and integrated real-life scenery into his creations.