Zhang Daqian

Zhang Daqian was trained in classical Chinese landscape and figure painting, but his late splashed-ink and splashed-color works became much more experimental. That range is one reason he is discussed alongside both old masters and 20th century modernists.

Yes, Zhang was famous for his ability to copy earlier painters so convincingly that some works fooled collectors and experts. His knowledge of artists such as Shitao helped him understand brushwork, seals, paper, and historical style at a very high level.

In the 1940s, Zhang spent time studying and copying the Buddhist murals at Dunhuang. That work influenced his figure painting and helped bring wider attention to the cave murals among Chinese art audiences.

Zhang was born in Sichuan in 1899 and later lived outside mainland China, including periods in Brazil, California, and Taiwan. He died in Taipei in 1983.