Four Masters of the Ming dynasty

The group consists of Shen Zhou (1427–1509), Wen Zhengming (1470–1559), Tang Yin (1470–1523), and Qiu Ying (c.1494–c.1552).

[1][2] They were contemporaries, with Shen being the teacher of Wen, while Tang and Qiu was taught by Zhou Chen (1460–1535).

[4] Qiu was solely a painter, while the other three developed distinct styles of painting, calligraphy, and poetry.

There are several alternative terms for these four leading painters:[citation needed] The "Four Masters" designation was first used in the mid-Ming dynasty, probably during the Jiajing era, and has continued to be applied since then.

Their family backgrounds varied, Tang Yin was born into a poor merchant background, while Wen Zhengming's father had strong connections and became a patron to Tang, suggesting a relatively prosperous family status.