Zhao Mengfu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zhao Mengfu
Portrait of Zhao Mengfu
Born	1254
Died	1322
Spouse	Guan Daosheng
House	House of Zhao
Father	Zhao Yuyin

Zhao Mengfu (born 1254, died 1322) was a very important artist from China. He was a talented scholar, painter, and calligrapher. He lived during the Yuan Dynasty.

Zhao Mengfu was also a member of the Song Dynasty's royal family. He was a descendant of Emperor Taizu, who founded the Song Dynasty.

A Life of Art and Learning

Zhao Mengfu was known for his amazing skills in both painting and writing. He was invited to meet Kublai Khan in 1286. Kublai Khan was the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. Even though Zhao Mengfu didn't get a big job in the government, his art was loved by later emperors, especially Emperor Renzong. Zhao was also part of a group called the "Academy of Worthies," which was like a special club for smart people.

Zhao Mengfu was married to Guan Daosheng. She was also a very skilled artist, known for her poetry, painting, and calligraphy. They were a family of artists!

His Unique Painting Style

Zhao Mengfu changed Chinese landscape painting forever. He didn't like the fancy, soft painting styles of his time. Instead, he looked back to older, simpler styles from the eighth century. This made his paintings feel fresh and new.

He was especially famous for his paintings of horses. He also painted landscapes in a special way. Instead of using a clear foreground, middle ground, and background, he layered different middle grounds. This made his paintings look deep but also simple and easy to understand. Many people loved this unique style.

One of his famous landscape paintings is called "The Mind Landscape of Xie Youyu." It's shown at the Princeton University Art Museum.

His Artistic Family

Zhao Mengfu and Guan Daosheng had several sons. Their second son, Zhao Yong, also became a famous painter and calligrapher, just like his parents.

Zhao Mengfu was also the grandfather of Wang Meng, another very famous painter. This shows how artistic talent ran in their family!

Amazing Paintings by Zhao Mengfu

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  Self portrait of Zhao Mengfu, painted in 1299

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  A Man and His Horse in the Wind

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  Horse and Groom

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  Elegant Rocks and Sparse Trees

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  A Sheep and Goat

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  Old Tree and Horses

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  Hoopoe on Bamboo

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  Twin Pines, Level Distance

Autumn colours on the Qiao and Hua mountains

Bathing Horses

Water Village, ink on paper, handscroll, dated 1302 (24.9 x 120.5 cm); Palace Museum, Beijing

Beautiful Calligraphy Works

Tale of the Goddess of Luo River (洛神赋)

The Heart Sutra (赵孟頫书心经墨迹)

The First Ode on the Red Cliff (前赤壁赋)

Zhao Mengfu's Legacy

The Museum of Zhao Mengfu

Zhao Mengfu's old home in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, has been turned into a museum. It opened to the public in 2012.

There's even a large crater on the planet Mercury named after him! It's called the "Chao Meng-Fu crater." This shows how important he was in history.

Family Tree

• Zhao Kuangyin
• Zhao Defang
• Zhao Weixian
• Zhao Congyu
• Zhao Shijiang
• Zhao Linghua
• Zhao Zicheng
• Zhao Bogui
• Zhao Shichui
• Zhao Xiyan
• Zhao Yuyin
• Zhao Mengfu

See also

In Spanish: Zhao Mengfu para niños