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L: 131 7/8 in(335cm) W: 13 in(33cm) Wen Zhengming (November 28, 1470-1559), born Wen Bi, was a Chinese painter, calligrapher, and poet during the Ming dynasty. He was regarded as one of the Four Masters of Ming painting. Wen Zhengming was born Wen Bi near present-day Suzhou on November 28, 1470. He would later be known by his courtesy name, Zhengming. In 1489, Wen Zhengming began studying under Shen Zhou, the eldest of the Four Masters and founder of the Wu school of painting, of which Wen himself later became a leading figure. Wen Zhengming was one of a number of Ming dynasty literati artists who set themselves in opposition to the professional, academy-influenced style favored in the region of Zhejiang. Wen and other amateur artists of the Wu school (named after the region around Suzhou, where many of them were based) carried on the wenren, scholar-artist tradition of the preceding dynasties. In addition to his poetry and painting, Wen Zhengming was also known for his calligraphy. As a young man, Zhengming was introduced by his father Wen Lin to a leading calligrapher of the Suzhou area. By 1541, he was thought to be the greatest calligrapher in China, particularly in the kaishu (regular script) and xingshu (semi-cursive script) styles.
Guy E. Mayer (1904-1952)
Guy Mayer was born into a humble family in New York City in 1904. During his college years, Guy developed an interest in Eastern arts where he began his journey as an avid collector. After college, Guy had a missionary opportunity in 1927 that took him across the vast ocean where he set foot in Japan. During his stay in Japan and through various learning opportunities, Guy’s ambition to discover the origin of Eastern arts grew even stronger. In 1928, Guy took another shorter missionary journey to China. Though many encounters, Guy recognized the immense love for Chinese antiques and culture. He was introduced, which eventually let to his vast collection of Chinese Buddhist statues, Chinese paintings and calligraphies, jade, snuff bottles and more. With the growing intensity of the war in China, Guy decided to preserve and maintain his collection of antiques which represents a cultural significance from the catastrophic bloodshed and hostility. In 1933, Guy returned to New York City where he eventually opened Guy E. Mayer Gallery to the public in 1935 on 578 Madison Ave, then quickly moved to 41 East 57th St, to boast his ambition for the love of Chinese arts. Doug G. Mayer, the grandson of Guy E. Mayer, who inherited his late grandfather’s antiques to consign some of the items with us for auctions gradually.
