Artists › Painters and Calligraphers
Bian Jingzhao
Early Ming court painter from Fujian whose finely coloured birds and flowers earned him a post in the Wuying Hall
A desk holds an unrolled sheet bearing three bold black ink strokes, with a rack of many brushes above it, a stone ink slab and ink stick, a porcelain bowl, a red lacquer box, a dish of red seal paste and a paperweight; a small seated figure shows through a round window onto bamboo.
Also known as Zi Wenjin · Bian Wenjin
Bian Jingzhao, courtesy name Wenjin, by which he is often known, came from Shaxian in Fujian and served as a court painter of the early Ming. Summoned to the palace under the Yongle Emperor, he waited on the throne in the Wuying Hall, and his birds and flowers, with Jiang Zicheng's figures and Zhao Lian's tigers, were called the three wonders of the palace. Under Hongxi he held the rank of commander in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but in 1426, when over seventy, he was dismissed for recommending men who had taken bribes. His birds and flowers continue the Song academy manner, with fine outlines and rich colour. The National Palace Museum in Taipei holds his hanging scroll Three Friends and a Hundred Birds.
Life and times
Dates Born c. 1350s, death unknown; active c. 1385-1426