Artists › Painters and Calligraphers
Yuan Yao
Qianlong-era Yangzhou painter of ruled-line palaces and landscapes, son or nephew of Yuan Jiang
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 Zhaodao · Hao Niyuzhe · Yuan Yao (variant character)
Yuan Yao, also written with a variant character, courtesy name Zhaodao, came from Jiangdu, today's Yangzhou, and was the son, or by another account the nephew, of Yuan Jiang. Trained in the family manner, he painted broad landscapes with buildings drawn in ruled line, often of immortal palaces and historic sites, and the two are known as the Two Yuans. His dated works fall in the Qianlong reign and include Scenic Sights of Yangzhou of 1778 in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and the Epang Palace of 1780 in the Nanjing Museum; a Palace of Nine Perfections also bears his name.
Life and times
Dates Dates unknown; active in the Qianlong era, with dated works from 1739 to 1780