Wu Li
Encyclopedia
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
landscape painter and poet during the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
(1644–1912).
Wu was born in Changsu in the Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
province. His style name was 'Yu Shan' and his sobriquet
Sobriquet
A sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation...
was 'Mojing Daoren'. Wu was taught poetry by Qian Qianyi
Qian Qianyi
Qian Qianyi was a noted late Ming official, scholar and social historian.-Biography:Qian was born in Chángshóu . His style name was 'Shou Zhi' and his pseudonyms were 'Mu Zhai' and later 'Meng Sou'...
, painting by Wang Shimin
Wang Shimin
Wáng Shímǐn ; ca. 1592-1680 was a Chinese landscape painter during the Qing Dynasty .Born in the Kiangsu province, Wang grew up in an artistic, scholarly environment...
and Wang Jian
Wang Jian
Wang Jian , courtesy name Guangtu , formally Emperor Gaozu of Shu , was the founding emperor of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Former Shu...
, and was influenced by the painters Huang Gongwang
Huang Gongwang
Huáng Gōngwàng was a painter born during the late Song Dynasty in Changshu, Jiangsu. He is the oldest of the "four great masters of the Yuan." After serving as an official he acted as a Taoist priest. He spent his last years in the Fu-ch'un mountains near Hangzhou devoting himself to Taoism. It...
and Wang Meng
Wang Meng (artist)
Wang Meng was a Chinese painter during the Yuan Dynasty. He was born in Huzhou , now known as Wuxing , Zhejiang....
. His landscapes utilized dry brush strokes and light colors. His distinctive style elevated him to where he is now identified as one of the Six Masters of the early Qing period
Six Masters of the early Qing period
The Six Masters of the early Qing period was a group of major Chinese artists who worked in the 17th and early 18th centuries . Also known as orthodox masters, they continued the tradition of the scholar-painter, following the injunctions of the artist-critic Dong Qichang late in the Ming...
.
Wu was a convert to Catholicism. Having become a member of the Jesuit Society, in 1688 he was ordained one of the three first Chinese Catholic priests.