Li Sheng

CHINA, Sichuan, Chengdu; Former Shu Kingdom

Also known as Jin Nu, Li Sheng was a self-taught painter from Chengdu in Shu (present day Sichuan). He specialized in landscape painting from an early age. It is said that the young Li was once given a landscape painting by a local master, and after studying it for a few days, concluded that it was unsatisfactory. He then committed himself to painting local landscapes and perfecting the style, producing unique and innovative depictions. Li was often compared to Li Sixun, another master of landscape painting, and was even given the nickname General Li Junior. History of Painting highly praised his works, deeming them “meticulous, elegant and rich,” stating that Li “depicts scenery so naturally that no brushstrokes are visible,” and that “no such talents existed in the past; no such talents exist in the present.” During the late Tang dynasty (618–907), National Master Wuda invited Li to stay at Shengshou Temple. While he was there, Li painted two murals, Leaving the Gorge and Mountains in the Mist. At Daci Temple in Chengdu, he painted Sanxueshan Mountain in Hanzhou and Zhideshan Mountain in Pengzhou. His works are recorded in Overview of Painting, Xuanhe Catalog of Paintings, and Records of Famous Paintings in Yizhou.