Wang Wei (699-759) was a Chinese painter and poet known especially for his skill as a landscape artist. He painted beautiful monochromatic landscapes, which use shades, tones, and tints of a single color. Records tell of Wang Wei’s many paintings on the walls of temples and palaces. He also painted on silk and probably on paper. None of his wall paintings has survived, and only a few other existing paintings are said to be his. However, much of Wang Wei’s poetry has been saved.
Wang Wei lived during the Tang dynasty (618-907), which is generally regarded as the golden age of Chinese civilization. He lived in the capital, Chang-an (now Xi’an), where he earned a high office in government. Wang Wei also produced beautiful Chinese calligraphy (handwriting) and was a skilled musician. He has come to be recognized as a genius who brought painting, poetry, and calligraphy together into a unified art.
