Wang Meng (1308-1385) was known as Shuming and Shuming, and his names were Xiangguang Jushi and Huangheshan Woodcutter. A native of Wuxing (now Huzhou, Zhejiang). Wang Meng is the grandson of Zhao Mengfu and the son of Zhao Mengfu's son-in-law Wang Guoqi (Delian). Since childhood, he has been influenced by his maternal grandfathers Zhao Mengfu and Duan Sheng, as well as his maternal uncles Zhao Yong and Zhao Yi. His poetry, calligraphy and painting are all passed down from his family. He once served as an official, but later abandoned his official position and lived in seclusion in Huanghe Mountain in Linping (now Yuhang, Zhejiang). After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, Wang Mengshan served as the magistrate of Tai'an (now part of Shandong) and had contacts with Hu Weiyong. In the eighteenth year of Hongwu (1385), Hu Weiyong was arrested in the case. Wang Meng was also implicated and imprisoned, and died in prison.
Wang Meng was erudite and memorized, and had a good foundation in poetry, calligraphy and painting. His paintings mainly followed the painting methods of Dong Yuan and Ju Ran of the Five Dynasties. The composition of the paintings is complex and thoughtful, the paintings are colorful, the pen and ink are dense and the trees are beautiful, making him unique. His paintings use various techniques to express the lushness and moistness of the forests in the south of the Yangtze River. He was a creative landscape painting master in the Yuan Dynasty. Almost all painters in the Ming, Qing and modern times studied his paintings. Together with Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen and Ni Zan, they are known as the "Four Yuan Masters".
Wang Meng has a profound attainment in calligraphy. First, it is passed down from his family, and second, he has superhuman talent. He focuses on landscapes, but he has attached great importance to the relationship between calligraphy and painting since he was a child, which is a potential factor for his hard work on calligraphy. Most of the books that have been handed down to this day are similar in style to Zhao Mengfu. Ni Zan once wrote a poem praising him: "The king's right army is exquisite in his pen and ink, and the young prince of the traveling clan is full of chenghuai. The prince is extremely powerful and can carry the cauldron. There has been no such king in five hundred years."
Dream Plum Blossom Poetry Scroll Cursive Collected by the Palace Museum, Beijing
This is a work that best reflects Wang Meng's calligraphy style. This is an impromptu sung by Wang Meng at a gathering with celebrities such as Yang Weizhen, Zhang Guangbi, and Liu Shike. This volume is loose and simple, without any splendor. The so-called true spirit can be seen in the so-called sincerity. It is a rare masterpiece. The style completely breaks away from the barriers of Zhao Mengfu, showing his true nature in Lushan, which is rare to see.
