Emperor Ming of Jin

CHINA, Nanjing; Eastern Jin dynasty

Emperor Ming (reigned 323–325), the eldest son of Emperor Yuan (reigned 317–322) of the Eastern Jin dynasty, was well-known as a painter and art enthusiast. With an original name of Sima Shao and nickname of Daoji, he used Taining for his era name. He was considered an intelligent, reasonable, and understanding ruler.
When he was young, Emperor Ming studied calligraphy and painting alongside Wang Xizhi under the renowned artist, Wang Yi. He was known to be particularly good at depicting figures and stories with vivid and spirited appearances. In addition, the Buddha images that Emperor Ming painted were highly-praised in Book of Jin.
Several of the emperor’s paintings were recorded in Famous Paintings in History, including Imperial Relatives in Luoyang City, Touring the Huaqingchi Garden, Figures and Folk Customs, and Assorted Birds and Animals.