Wu Zhen (1280-1354)
was born in Suzhou and stayed there most of his life. He received a good education but never aspired to official service. Instead, he mastered the art of divination and earned a living as a fortune teller. The pine symbolizes endurance and fortitude, because it retains its greenery even in the dead of winter. It became a metaphor for the gentleman artist living under Mongol rule. On the other hand, for Daoists, the pine tree embodies the supernatural powers of the dragon...so who knows?
Original Size 180x111,4 cm.
National Palace Museum, Taipei