Zhu Haogu

CHINA, Shanxi, Linfen; Yuan dynasty

Born in Xiangfen county of Linfen, Zhu Haogu was a painter who was famous for his Buddhist and Daoist murals, many of which are mentioned in Xiangling County Gazetteer, and Shanxi Gazetteer.
During the Southern Song (1127–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) dynasties, Buddhist painting was split into the Southern and Northern schools. The Southern school painted primarily on scrolls, and the most prominent painters were Jin Dashou and Zhang Sigong. The Northern school was mainly based in Shanxi, and Zhu Haogu was considered to be its leading representative. The murals, Seven Buddhas, Illustration of the Sutra on the Descent of Maitreya, and Life of the Buddha, in Xinghua Temple in Shanxi were painted by Zhu Haogu and his disciple Zhang Boyuan in 1298. These paintings are characterized by solemn figures, fluent brushstrokes, splendid colors, and rich content in the tradition of the Buddhist and Daoist murals of the Tang and Song dynasties. The murals in Sanqing Hall of the Yongle Palace in Shanxi are also believed to be the work of Zhu.