Wu Daozi

Wu Daozi (c. 685 – c. 758 CE or c. 689 – c. 759 CE), also known as Daoxuan and Wu Tao Tzu, was a Chinese painter of the Tang dynasty. The British art historian Michael Sullivan considers him one of "the masters of the seventh century." In China, his paintings are believed to mark the peak of court painting. None of his works survive, but later surviving copies are based on his original drawings. Wu's father died when he was at an early age, and he subsequently lived in poverty. He learned calligraphy from Zhang Xu and He Zhizhang, before specialising in painting. He pioneered realistic techniques, the formal establishment of brushwork, and landscape painting. He painted figures with round strokes so as to show their flowing clothes.