Zhao Mengjian
Elegant ink orchids and daffodils
Zhao Mengjian(赵孟坚) (1199–1264) was a painter from the Southern Song Dynasty in China. He was born in the fifth year of Qingyuan (1199) and died in the fifth year of Jingding (1264), though some say he passed away in the third year of Xiangchun (1267). His courtesy name was Zigu(子固), and his art name was Yizhai(彝斋). He was a member of the Song royal family, the eleventh-generation grandson of Emperor Taizu of Song, and was Han Chinese from Guangchen, Haiyan (now Pinghu, Jiaxing). He once served as an official in Huzhou, worked at the Transport Office, was the county magistrate of Zhuji, and a supervisor of the Left Treasury. He was skilled in poetry and prose, came from a wealthy family with a rich collection of art, and excelled at painting plums, orchids, bamboo, and rocks, especially superb in ink drawings of daffodils. His paintings mostly used ink, with strong and flowing brushwork, lightly tinted washes, an elegant and refined style, highly esteemed by scholars. His calligraphy works include the ink piece "Self-Written Poem Scroll", and his paintings include "Ink Orchid", "Daffodils", and "Three Friends of Winter", among others. He also authored the four-volume "Collected Writings of Yizhai".