CHEN YUANSU (16TH CENTURY)

Chen Yuansu, a Ming dynasty painter, was born in present-day Suzhou. Working during the Wanli era, he composed poetry and was an especially skilled calligrapher of standard and running script. Chen Yuansu also painted landscapes but was best known for his pictures of orchids, which were said to be as beautiful as those by Wen Zhengming (1470-1559).