Early Medieval: original voices

17 Famous Early Medieval Malíři Who Shaped the Movement

Wang Wei (699–759) is the most famous Early Medieval malíř, whose singular vision gave us Seven and a Half Years Old a Winter Landscape. Next stand Dong Yuan, Zhang Xuan, Yan Liben a Wu Daozi. These 17 malíři, from Emperor Yuan of Liang (born 508) to Zhao Chang (born 960), came from 8 countries.

Our selection. Artists whose works our catalogue attaches to Early Medieval, in the order of our fame ranking. Artists born after 1955 with no Wikidata identifier stay out until verified. The Wikipedia figure counts our 32 languages with an article on the artist.

  1. Seven and a Half Years Old od Wang Wei1Wang Wei
  2. The Immortal Paradise Building in the Mountain od Dong Yuan2Dong Yuan
  3. Court ladies preparing newly woven silk od Zhang Xuan3Zhang Xuan

In brief

Early Medieval in brief

  • 17Umělci
  • 508–960Roky narození
  • 8Země narození
  • 0Ženy
  • 38Díla v našem katalogu
Města s nejvyšším počtem narozených
Nanjing (2), Chang'an (2), Yongji (1), Čchang-an (1)

One artist at a time

17 Early Medieval Malíři and their signature works

1of 17

Wang Wei

Čínská Born in Yongji Pejzážní malba Wikipedia in 19/32 languages

Wang Wei

Wang Weiho přínos k pevninským krajinám přesahuje pouhé zobrazování; představuje totiž skutečný paradigmatický posun v uměleckém myšlení. Ačkoliv se nedokázaly dochovat žádné autentizované exempláře, popisy od pozdějších umělců svědčí o hlubokém dopadu, který Wang Wei zanechal – jeho obrazy byly oslavovány pro svou klidnou krásu a schopnost vyvolat pocit duchovní kontemplace.

Signature works · The 100 signature works

3of 17

Zhang Xuan

Čínská Born in Čchang-an Malba dynastie Tang Wikipedia in 10/32 languages

Zhang Xuan

Zhang Xuan (713–755), klíčová postava umění dynastie Tang, stojí po boku Yan Libena jako jeden ze dvou nejslavnějších malířů své éry. Podobně i dílo „Jarní procházka dvora Tang“, které detailně rekonstruoval Li Gonglin, představuje mistrovské ovládnutí perspektivy a barvy, čímž se Zhang Xuan etabloval jako průkopník v malbě krajiny. Sláva Zhang Xuana spočívá především v díle Dvorní dámy připravující nově utkaný hedvábí (搗練圖), které je pravděpodobně nejslavnější malbou dynastie Tang.

Signature works · The 100 signature works

8of 17

Li Cheng

Chinese Born in Weifang Landscape painting Wikipedia in 11/32 languages

Li Cheng

This monumental painting, now housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei, is a testament to his mastery of technique and his ability to evoke a powerful emotional response. The painting depicts a towering pine tree standing alone on a barren mountain peak, shrouded in mist. His loose brushwork, atmospheric effects, and emphasis on capturing the overall mood and atmosphere of the natural world became hallmarks of the “Northern Landscape” style—a dominant trend in Chinese painting during the Song Dynasty.

Signature works · The 100 signature works

12of 17

Li Zhaodao

dynastie Tang Born in Qin'an Qinglu Bai Wikipedia in 8/32 languages

Li Zhaodao

Příroda dynastie Tang se pod štětcem Li Zhaodao mění. To je podstata stylu Qinglu Bai, který definuje jeho váha a jeho světlo. Jako syn Li Sixuna, malíře a šlechtického patrona, vyrůstal v domácnosti, kde byly tradice kaligrafie a malířství hlavním jazykem.

Signature works · The 100 signature works

13of 17

Han Huang

Chinese Wikipedia in 5/32 languages

Han Huang

Han Huang was a Chinese economist and politician of the Tang dynasty. Born in 723, he served as a chancellor during the reign of the Emperor Dezong. His career was marked by significant roles, including serving as the prefect of Jin Prefecture, the prefect of Su Prefecture, and the governor of Zhejiang Circuit.

Signature works · The 100 signature works

14of 17

Guan Xiu

Chinese Born in Lanxi Tang Dynasty Wikipedia in 3/32 languages

Guan Xiu

This tumultuous era witnessed the fragmentation of Tang imperial authority, prompting provincial courts to champion artistic traditions—a circumstance that fostered a miniature Tang court in Chengdu where Guanxiū flourished. Early Life & Education: Born in Lanxi, Zhejiang province, Guanxiū’s formative years were dedicated to monastic studies, shaping his worldview and artistic sensibilities.

Signature works · The 100 signature works

17of 17

Zhao Gan

Chinese Jiangnan style Wikipedia in 3/32 languages

Zhao Gan

His work is characterized by a focus on material details, including: To achieve the appearance of soft, thick snowflakes on silk, the artist used a technique of blowing white pigment through a screen to lightly project it onto the surface. The resulting imagery portrays the harsh conditions of fishermen shivering in their boats or under shelters amidst the falling snow.

Signature works · The 100 signature works

Signature works

Signature Early Medieval works

  1. Seven and a Half Years Old od Wang Wei

    Seven and a Half Years Old

    Wang Wei

    2011 · Song Art Museum, Pekin

  2. The Immortal Paradise Building in the Mountain od Dong Yuan

    The Immortal Paradise Building in the Mountain

    Dong Yuan

    950 · Národní palácové muzeum v Taipei

  3. Court ladies preparing newly woven silk od Zhang Xuan

    Court ladies preparing newly woven silk

    Zhang Xuan

    China Modern and Contemporary Art Document Research Center, Pekin

  4. Thirteen Emperors Scroll od Yan Liben

    Thirteen Emperors Scroll

    Yan Liben

    650 · Muzeum umění v Bostonu

  5. Guanyin od Wu Daozi

    Guanyin

    Wu Daozi

    1885 · Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

  6. Untitled od Huang Quan

    Untitled

    Huang Quan

    The Palace Museum, Beijing

  7. In the Palace od Zhou Wenju

    In the Palace

    Zhou Wenju

    1133 · Clevelandské muzeum umění

  8. Giant od Li Cheng

    Giant

    Li Cheng

    2019 · Fubon Art Foundation Very Fun Park, Taipei

A timeline

Early Medieval through its signature works

  1. 650
  2. 900
  3. 960

Figures

The figures

Every name

List of 17 famous Early Medieval malíři, every name

  1. 1Wang WeiWang WeiČínská · 699–759
  2. 2Dong YuanDong Yuan934–962
  3. 3Zhang XuanZhang XuanČínská · 713–755
  4. 4Yan LibenYan LibenChinese · 600–673
  5. 5Wu DaoziWu DaoziTang dynasty · 680–740
  6. 6Huang QuanHuang Quan903–965
  7. 7Zhou WenjuZhou WenjuChinese · 917–975
  8. 8Li ChengLi ChengChinese · 919–967
  9. 9Jing HaoJing Hao855–915
  10. 10Emperor Yuan of LiangEmperor Yuan of LiangLiang dynasty · 508–555
  11. 11Gu HongzhongGu HongzhongChinese · 937–975
  12. 12Li ZhaodaoLi Zhaodaodynastie Tang · 675–758
  13. 13Han HuangHan HuangChinese · 723–787
  14. 14Guan XiuGuan XiuChinese · 832–912
  15. 15Zhao ChangZhao ChangChinese · 960–1016
  16. 16Huang JucaiHuang JucaiChinese · 933–993
  17. 17Zhao GanZhao GanChinese ·

Questions

Your questions

  • Which Early Medieval malíř is the most famous?

    First place goes to Wang Wei (#1); Dong Yuan (#2) and Zhang Xuan (#3) complete the podium.

  • Who are the 5 most famous Early Medieval malíři?

    Wang Wei (#1), Dong Yuan (#2), Zhang Xuan (#3), Yan Liben (#4) a Wu Daozi (#5).

  • Which techniques define Early Medieval art?

    “A master of the Southern Tang dynasty, his life and brushwork emerged during a period of profound cultural flowering in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era.” — from our biography of Dong Yuan (#2).

  • Where were most Early Medieval malíři born?

    People's Republic of China: 7 of the 17 malíři in this list were born there, then Han dynasty (2) a Čínská lidová republika (1).

  • Where are the great works of Early Medieval art today?

    The museums holding the most key works of this list are Národní palácové muzeum v Taipei (5), The Palace Museum (5) a Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art (3).

  • In which period did Early Medieval art flourish?

    Most malíři in this list were born in the 10th století (7 of 17), between 508 and 960 overall.

  • Who was the first Early Medieval malíř?

    The earliest-born malíř in this list is Emperor Yuan of Liang (#10), born in 508.

  • Which city was home to the most Early Medieval malíři?

    Nanjing: 2 of the malíři in this list were born there.

  • Who are the most famous Early Medieval malíři from People's Republic of China?

    The highest-ranked malíři born in People's Republic of China are Dong Yuan (#2), Zhou Wenju (#7), Li Cheng (#8), Jing Hao (#9) a Guan Xiu (#14).

  • Where can I see more works by these malíři?

    Our catalogue holds 38 works by these malíři.

Other movements

Famous artists of other movements

Other periods

Famous artists across the periods

Discover more

More artists to discover