Guo Xi

Place: Yancheng

Death: 1090

Biography:

Guo Xi was a Chinese landscape painter from Henan Province who lived during the Northern Song dynasty. He was a court professional, a literatus, and well-educated painter who developed an incredibly detailed system of idiomatic brushstrokes which became important for later painters. He is known for his innovative techniques for producing multiple perspectives, which he called 'the angle of totality' or 'Floating Perspective'. He is best known for his painting 'Early Spring', dated 1072, which demonstrates his innovative techniques for producing multiple perspectives. He also wrote a treatise on landscape painting called 'The Lofty Message of Forest and Streams' (Linquan Gaozhi 林泉高致). He was often referred to as a 'Northern Song master' when it came to painting. His work inspired many later artists and he even had landscapes dedicated to him.