Zhang Xun

CHINA, Guangdong, Foshan; Tang dynasty

Zhang Xun was a painter from Nanhai (present day Foshan, Guangdong), and he was also known as Lingshan and Zhengyan. He went to Chang’an (present day Xi’an, Shaanxi) where he studied under Wang Wei and became a skillful painter of landscapes, pines, and rocks.
Escaping from the chaos of war between 881 and 884, Zhang went to Shu (present day Sichuan) and stayed at Zhaojue Temple. There, he befriended Master Xiumeng, who invited him to paint three landscape murals in the Great Compassion Hall depicting the morning, afternoon, and night scenery of Jiangnan. Visiting the temple on the day when the painting was completed, Emperor Xizong (reigned 873–888) appreciated and praised the work.
Zhang’s other paintings include the scroll of Dangerous Plank Road at the Snowy Peak, which portrays the mountainous scenery of Shu, and was recorded in Records of Famous Paintings in Yizhou, Overview of Painting, and Xuanhe Catalog of Paintings.