Artist: Gu Zhengyi (dates of birth and death unknown)
Date: Ming (1368-1644)
Material: Ink and colour on paper
Gu Zhengyi (dates of birth and death unknown), also known by his zi (designated name) Zhongfang and his hao (literary name) Tinglin, was native to Huating (in present-day Songjiang, Shanghai). He held the position as a drafter of edicts. Gu learned his style from the "Four Masters ofthe Yuan", especially influenced by Huang Gongwang, and was an early representative figure of the Songjiang School. This painting was painted after the style of Wang Meng, with dense composition and numerous trees. According to the inscription on the painting, this scroll was painted for Zang Maoxun (1550-1620), dramatist native to Changxing (in present-day Huzhou, Zhejiang province). Zang compiled Quanyuanqu (a complete collection of Yuan dynasty dramas and songs). Zang later gifted this work to Xie Zhaozhe (1567-1624) of Jin'an (in present-day Fuzhou, Fujian province), which reflects the cultural exchanges between Songjiang, Zhejiang, and Fujian literati during the mid-to-late Ming dynasty.