Posted 2018/10/28
Wu Daozi (吴道子 680-740) was a Chinese artist of the Tang Dynasty, famous for initiating new myths in his artwork. In Chinese history, three people are adored as art sages. They are the calligraphy sage Wang Xizhi of the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316), the poem sage Du Fu of theTang Dynasty, and the painting sage Wu Daozi, also of the Tang Dynasty.
Born in Yangzhai (present-day Yu County in Henan Province), Wu lost both his parents when he was young and lived a hard life in his early years. He learned from folk artists and sculptors how to make a living. Because he studied hard and was talented in art, he earned himself a good reputation as a painter by the time he was 20 years old. Emperor Xuanzong invited him to become an imperial painter in court and changed his name to Daoxuan. As an imperial painter, he was not allowed to paint except on the emperor's orders. It was a big restriction for a civilian painter, but on the other hand, life in court provided the best conditions for living and artistic creativity.
Wu's character was unrestrained, direct and indifferent to trivial matters, and it is known he always drank while painting. It is also said that when Wu drew the halo around Buddha's head in a mural, he only used his brushes without drafting the measurements first; when he painted at Longxing Temple, the temple was always packed with observers. Wu moved his brush quickly, and most of his works were accomplished in a single session. Chang'an (present day Xi'an), capital of the Tang Dynasty, was the cultural center of the time where many famous men of letters and artists lived. Wu had many opportunities to stay with them, which helped improve his painting skills.
Wu mainly created religious murals all his life and his abundant works had a wide range of subjects. According to records, Wu painted over 300 murals and more than 100 scrolls. While many of them involved Buddhism and Taoism, Wu also drew mountains, rivers, flowers and birds. The Presentation of Buddha is his most representative work. Unlike his predecessor Gu Kaizhi, whose line strokes were slender and forceful but lacked variety, Wu's strokes were full of change and vigor, expressing the internal world of his subjects. Wu was always in great ferment when he was painting, and his works exhibit an expressionist style.
