Zhang Fang

CHINA, Henan, Zhumadian; Northern Song dynasty

Zhang Fang, also known as Shengqing, was a painter from Runan county in Zhumadian, and sometimes said to be from Linru. He excelled in painting Buddhist and Daoist figures with a technique modeled after that of Wu Daozi. Zhang was summoned to paint a mural of Heavenly Beings Playing Music in Sanqing Hall of the newly built Yuqing Zhaoying Palace in Henan. He is said to have completed the painting without any need to draft it first, demonstrating his refined skills. His adeptness was further shown in his sophisticated painting of another mural of Dharma Protectors in Kaiyuan Temple. Zhang’s works were recorded in Overview of Painting and Evaluation of Famous Painters of the Song Dynasty.