(b Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 1502; d Suzhou, 1575). Painter, nephew of (1) Wen Zhengming and cousin of (2) Wen Jia. He was renowned for his mean personality: as a youth he lost a legal dispute with his uncle and teacher, Wen Zhengming, and was imprisoned. Like Wen Jia, he failed the provincial juren (second degree) civil service examinations. Perhaps because of his cantankerous character, he did not often participate in Suzhou scholarly gatherings, nor was he as actively involved in WU SCHOOL activities as were his cousins Wen Peng (1498-1573) and Wen Jia; his paintings do not usually bear inscriptions by his contemporaries, and colophons by him are rare. The critic Wang Shizhen (1526-90) marvelled at how such a vile person could produce such fine landscapes.
Part of the Wen family
See the Abbreviations for further details.
