Taoist Painter Gongwang Huang
Gongwang Huang (1269-1354) originated from Changshu. Huang’s initial name was Jian Lu, but due to his parents’ early death; therefore, he was given to the Huang family as a stepson; thus, then changed his name to Gongwang Huang, style name Zijiu.
Huang was bright and intelligent since he was young, he entered the narrow door of the governmental facility when Huang was 24 years old without official examinations at the time, and he was positioned as the official clerk in the Surveillance Office in Hangzhou. The 48-year-old Huang was promoted to the Investigative Censorate in the capital. However, he was sentenced to jail during the take-off of his career. After Huang was released from prison, nearly 50 of age, he gave up his path in the government and became a Taoist priest. Huang used the sobriquet ‘Dachi (big fool)’ to preach his belief and perform religious practices. Numerous masterpieces were painted in his free time; thus, his talents in painting were renowned, and he became an icon celebrated by generations to come, and he wrote the “Secrets on Portraying Landscapes”.
