The Four Great Painters of the Six Dynasties are key figures in early Chinese painting history.
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history
The four are 曹不兴 (3rd c.), 顾恺之 (c. 344-405), 陆探微 (5th c.), and 张僧繇 (6th c.). Together they bracket the 六朝 (Six Dynasties, 222-589) period and are credited with founding the figural and Buddhist painting traditions that the Tang dynasty inherited.
culture
顾恺之 is the most famous in popular memory - the Tang-era copy of his 《女史箴图》 (Admonitions Scroll) is a star object at the British Museum. 张僧繇 gave us the chengyu 画龙点睛 ('paint dragon, dot eye').
