Yang Meizi

CHINA, Zhejiang, Shaoxing; Southern Song dynasty

Yang Meizi was a painter and calligrapher, as well as the empress of Emperor Ningzong (reigned 1194–1224) of the Song dynasty. She was also known as Yang Wa and Yang Jieyu. A native of Huiji (present day Shaoxing, Zhejiang), she was proficient in poetry and painting, and skilled in art appreciation. She adopted Ma Yuan’s techniques in most of her scenic depictions, while she imitated Ma Lin in the painting of flowers. Her works are in vibrant color and simple strokes, in the style of Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). Yang is well-known for her running script annotations on the famous paintings by Ma Yuan, including Dialogue with Master Fayan, Dialogue with Master Yunmen, and Master Dongshan Wading the Stream. Her painting, Hundred Flowers, is now kept at the Jilin Provincial Museum in Changchun.