Wang Wei

(noun)

(699-759) A Tang Dynasty Chinese poet, musician, painter, and statesman; one of the most famous men of arts and letters of his time. 

Related Terms

Examples of Wang Wei in the following topics:

  • Painting during the Tang Dynasty

    • The great poet Wang Wei first created the brush and ink painting of shan-shui, literally "mountains and waters."

  • The Eastern Han Period

    • When the Western Han period ended in 9 CE, the regent to the prior emperor, Wang Mang, proclaimed his own new dynasty, the Xin Dynasty.
    • A rebel army called the Chimei ("Red Eyebrows") developed out of the peasantry, and they defeated Wang Mang's armies and stormed the capital of Chang'an.
    • They killed Wang Mang and put their own puppet ruler on the throne.
    • This ended the Han Dynasty, and started a period of conflict between these three states, called Cao Wei, Eastern Wu and Shu Han.

  • Orthodox Confucian Painting under the Qing Dynasty

    • The painting of the early years of the dynasty included such painters as the orthodox Six Masters, including the Four Wangs.
    • The Six Masters include the flower painter Yun Shouping, the landscape painter Wu Li, and the Four Wangs: Wang Shimin, Wang Jian, Wang Yuanqi, and Wang Hui.
    • Wang Hui, Clearing Autum Sky over a Fishing Vilage, hanging scroll, ink and light colors on paper (1680)
    • Wang Hui and the three other Wangs dominated Orthodox art in China throughout the late Ming and early Qing periods.
    • Of the Four Wangs, Wang Hui is considered to be the best-known today.

  • Calligraphy during the Six Dynasties Period

    • One of these famous calligraphers was Wang Xizhi, who lived during the 4th century CE in the middle of the Jin Dynasty.
    • Wang Xizhi was traditionally referred to as the Sage of Calligraphy, and he is considered by many to be one of the most esteemed Chinese calligraphers of all time and a master of all forms of Chinese calligraphy, especially the running script.
    • The Lantingji Xu is a famous work of calligraphy by Wang Xizhi, composed in the year 353 CE.
    • Main text of a Tang Dynasty copy of Wang Xizhi's Lantingji Xu, by Feng Chengsu.
    • Throughout Chinese history, many copies were made of the Lantingji Xu, which described the beauty of the landscape around the Orchid Pavilion and the get-together of Wang Xizhi and his friends.

  • References

    • Wang, S. & Han, S. (2001).

  • The Northern Song Era

    • After Fan was forced to step down from his office, Wang Anshi (1021–1086) became chancellor of the imperial court.
    • With the backing of Emperor Shenzong (1067–1085), Wang Anshi severely criticized the educational system and state bureaucracy.
    • Seeking to resolve what he saw as state corruption and negligence, Wang implemented a series of reforms called the New Policies.
    • Wang Anshi's "New Policies Group" (Xin Fa), also known as the "Reformers," were opposed by the ministers in the "Conservative" faction led by the historian and chancellor Sima Guang (1019–1086).
    • One of the prominent victims of the political rivalry, the famous poet and statesman Su Shi (1037–1101), was jailed and eventually exiled for criticizing Wang's reforms.

  • Architecture during the Six Dynasties Period

    • The Six Dynasties is a collective term for six Chinese dynasties during the periods of the Three Kingdoms (220–280 CE; also known as the Eastern Wu or the Cao Wei), the Jin Dynasty (265–420 CE), and the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420–589 CE, which include the Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang, and Chen Dynasties).
    • Wei mechanical engineer Ma Jun is considered by many to be the equal of his predecessor Zhang Heng.
    • He invented a hydraulic-powered, mechanical puppet theater designed for Emperor Ming of Wei; square-pallet chain pumps for irrigation of gardens in Luoyang; and the ingenious design of the South Pointing Chariot, a non-magnetic directional compass operated by differential gears.

  • References

    • ., & Wang, F. (2005).

  • Painting under the Yuan Dynasty

    • Wang Meng was a famous painter of the Yuan Dynasty, and one of his most famous works is the Forest Grotto.
    • Wang Meng and the great masters of the Yuan Dynasty exclusively painted landscapes, which they believed to be the visible key to the invisible reality.

  • Philosophy and Art of the Han Dynasty

    • It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty (9–23 CE) of the former regent Wang Mang.
    • Philosophical works written by Yang Xiong (53 BCE – 18 CE), Huan Tan (43 BCE – 28 CE), Wang Chong (27–100 CE), and Wang Fu (78–163 CE) questioned whether human nature was innately good or evil and posed challenges to Dong's universal order.