Wang Yuan (painter)

Wang Yuan (王淵), also known as Wang Ruoshui (王若水) and sometimes called Wang Yuan-chang (王元章), was a Chinese painter of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). He was active roughly between 1279 and 1368.

Wang Yuan was renowned for his bird-and-flower paintings. He excelled at realistically depicting various birds, often in association with bamboo, plum blossoms, and other plant life. His works were characterized by meticulous brushwork, delicate coloring, and a keen observation of nature. He is considered a significant figure in the development of bird-and-flower painting during the Yuan dynasty, continuing and developing the styles of earlier Song dynasty masters. While he followed in the established traditions, he also brought his own unique sensibility and artistic vision to his work.

His painting style had a lasting impact on later generations of artists. He is considered one of the important predecessors of the court painting style of the early Ming Dynasty. While documentation of Wang Yuan's life remains limited, his surviving artworks and their influence cement his place in the history of Chinese art.