Wang Hui (Qing dynasty)

Wang Hui (Chinese王 翚, Pinyin Wang Hui ) (* 1632, † 1717) was a Chinese painter of the Qing Dynasty and a supporter of the conservative, the old masters imitating so -called " orthodox school ".

Wang Hui learned his crafts at Wang Jian and Wang Shimin, who called the school of orthodox painting to life and is especially oriented to the classicism of the painter Dong Qichang.

Along with the painters Wu Li, Yun and Wang Shouping Yuanqi Wang Hui is counted among the " Four Great Masters " from the time of the reign of Emperor Kangxi. Like his colleagues, he was a follower of the learned literati painting. Following the example of his teacher Wang Shimin he frequently took in his works relating to the style of the classical models used and this is also explicitly mentioned in comments on his pictures.

Between 1691 and 1698, Wang Hui was appointed for the series of pictures of south travel of Emperor Kangxi to the imperial court, but it could not afford to turn down an offer by the Emperor on a permanent court office since it due to its high reputation as a painter on the at that time already highly developed art market in the country could live well as an independent artist.

Based on sales, at auctions in the years 2011 and 2012, Wang is considered as the most expensive traded artists in the " Old Masters "