Tang Yin Facts for Kids

In this Chinese name, the family name is Tang (唐).

Portrait of the Tang Yin

Clearing after Snow on a Mountain Pass by Tang Yin (函關雪霽)

Court Ladies of the Former Shu by Tang Yin (1470-1524)

Tang Yin (Chinese: 唐寅; pinyin: Táng Yín; Cantonese Yale: Tong Yan; 1470–1524) was a famous Chinese painter, calligrapher, and poet. He lived during the Ming dynasty. His life story has become a popular part of Chinese folklore. Many of his paintings, especially those of people, show styles from older Chinese art periods.

Tang Yin is one of the most important painters in the history of Chinese art. He is known as one of the "Four Masters of Ming dynasty" (Ming Si Jia). The other masters were Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming, and Qiu Ying. Tang Yin also wrote poems. He was one of the "Four Literary Masters of the Wuzhong Region," along with Wen Zhengming, Zhu Yunming, and Xu Zhenqing.

Tang Yin was known for his clever and sometimes mischievous stories. One famous story tells how he cleverly managed to meet a girl he admired. He saw her on a boat belonging to a powerful official in Suzhou. To get close to her, he pretended to be a servant in the official's house. With help from his friends, he eventually succeeded in bringing her home. This story inspired plays and operas, like The Three Smiles.

Tang Yin grew up in Suzhou, where his father ran a restaurant. His family was not rich. He studied very hard when he was young. His great talent soon made him friends with important and artistic people in Suzhou. Wen Zhengming became his friend. Wen's father, Wen Lin, helped Tang Yin meet the right people.

Tang Yin was a brilliant student. In 1498, he came first in the big provincial exams in Nanjing. This was a very important step for becoming a government official. The next year, he went to the capital for the national exams. However, he and his friend Xu Jing were accused of cheating. This meant Tang Yin could not become a government official, which was a big disappointment for him.

Since he could not be an official, Tang Yin focused on painting. He sold his artworks to make a living and also enjoyed life. Later art critics sometimes disagreed with his choice to sell paintings. They believed artists should be financially independent to follow their own style. Tang Yin is famous for paintings of beautiful women. His other paintings, especially landscapes, show his great skill and deep understanding.

Tang Yin's Calligraphy and Poetry
The Return Home of Tao Qian Painting
Tang Yin's Life in Movies and Plays
Images for kids
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Tang Yin's Calligraphy and Poetry

Tang Yin was very good at semi-cursive script writing, which is a style of calligraphy. His poems often talked about human feelings like envy or greed. Some of his deeper poems showed sadness about fate and the harsh truth of life. Sometimes he felt sad about losing childlike innocence. Even love in his poems could be full of sadness. Poems that started with hope often ended with regret.

Tang Yin also wrote a short poem about bamboo:

"The moon sinks in the fourth watch, Paper windows seem transparent; Stirring from wine, I prop my head and read awhile. High thoughts, I force myself, but can't help it; Ten stalks, still green in winter, cast profuse shadows."

The Return Home of Tao Qian Painting

The painting, The Return Home of Tao Qian, was bought by its previous owner, Eve Myers, in 1950. She worked for General Chenault's 'Flying Tigers'. At that time, she lived in Taiwan, where many Chinese people were moving. She passed away in 1999. This painting was bought from her in 1987. In 1989, Mr. Cai Ming Yi looked at the painting. He was the Director of Ancient Fine Arts Research at University of Beijing. He confirmed that the painting was real and wrote about it.