WU CHEN

born 1280, Chia-hsing, Chekiang province, China died 1354 Pinyin Wu Zhen one of the group of Chinese painters later known as the Four Masters of the Yan, or Mongol, dynasty (12061368). His fame derives particularly from his incorruptible life as a recluse (and diviner) away from the Mongol court. Wu Chen, like others of the group, sought stylistic inspiration in the past (especially from such Five Dynasties masters as Ch-jan), but his paintings are not overwhelmingly determined by that desire. Rather, they are a combination of the new attitudes of the Yan period with sometimes conservative tendencies traceable to the Southern Sung dynasty (11271279). Wu Chen is generally associated with landscapes, especially scenes of fishermen.