Shěn Zhōu 沈周
Chinese, 1427–1509
BiographyBorn into a wealthy gentry family from Suzhou, Shen Zhou 沈周 (Shen Chou) lived his whole life as a cultured gentleman of leisure. Even during his lifetime he was regarded as one of the most outstanding poets and painters of the Ming dynasty. He is generally regarded as the first great master of the Wu school of painting.