Landscape after Dong Yuan, 1775, Wang Chen, 1720 - 1797, 39 x 18 7/16 in. (99.06 x 46.83 cm) (image), Ink on paper, China, 18th century, Wang Chen was born in Tai Cang, Jiangsu province in 1720. He was a sixth generation descendant of the orthodox master Wang shimin (1592-1680) and the grandson of Wang Yuanchi (1642-1715). Wang passed the second-degree provincial exams in 1760 and later served as the prefect of Yongzhou in Hunan province. As a painter, Wang Chen carried on the well-established orthodox tradition of his family lineage which was derived from the Four Great Masters of the Yuan (1280-1368). Wang Chen was eventually classified along with Wang Yu, Wang Su, and Wang Jiu as the Four Lesser Wangs of the Qing dynasty.