He was the director of the imperial library and was also in charge of any painting related affairs in the court of Emperor Wu.
Later, Zhang served the country as the general of right flank army and the governor of Wuxing Commandery.
[3] Yao Zui, a Chen dynasty art critic, described Zhang as a diligent painter who paints "without the notion of day and night".
According to the History of the Southern Dynasties, Zhang painted a portrait for Prince Wuling, one of the sons of Emperor Wu.
Zhang Sengyou, working in the early sixth century, painted large murals of Buddhist shrines in Nanjing.