Zhang Lu
Bold Zhe School freehand figure painter
Zhang Lu(張路) (1464–1538, some sources say 1464–1537; others suggest born around 1482–1491, died before 1565), courtesy name Tianchi(天馳) and art name Pingshan(平山), was from Xiangfu(祥符) (now Kaifeng, Henan) and a representative painter of the Zhe school during the Ming dynasty. He once studied at the Imperial Academy as a scholar but was easygoing and enjoyed socializing and leisure. Later, he gave up an official career to focus on painting. He studied under Dai Jin and Wu Wei and was as famous as Zhu Duan, Jiang Song, and Wang Zhao. In his early years, his painting style was meticulous, but later, influenced by Wu Wei, he shifted to bold brushwork and freehand style. He excelled in painting figures and landscapes, and was also skilled in birds, animals, and flowers. His figure paintings often depicted immortals and scholars, with simple, down-to-earth depictions full of life; his landscapes combined techniques from Ma Yuan, Xia Gui, and Dai Jin, with swift brushstrokes and the use of heavy axe-cut textures. His works were highly valued by the gentry at the time, and together with Li Mengyang's writings and Zuo Guoqi's calligraphy, were known as the 'Three Wonders of Daliang.' In the mid to late Ming period, some scholars criticized his style as 'wild and unconventional.' His representative works include "Immortal Woman Playing the Flute," "Watching the Waterfall," "Eagle Chasing a Rabbit," "Impending Mountain Rain," "The Four Hermits of Shangshan," and "Reading While Carrying Firewood." Existing works are housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing, Shanghai Museum, Nanjing Museum, Tianjin Museum, Tianyige Museum, Rongbaozhai, and various museums overseas.