An inventory of the "Four Great Masters" of literati in the past dynasties:
The Four Great Masters of Han Fu: Sima Xiangru, Yang Xiong, Ban Gu, and Zhang Heng.
The four great masters of Tang poetry: Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen.
The four great poets of the Song Dynasty: Su Shi, Xin Qiji, Liu Yong, and Li Qingzhao (also Zhou Bangyan).
The four great masters of Yuan opera: Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan, Bai Pu and Zheng Guangzu.
The four great writers of Ming and Qing novels: Luo Guanzhong, Shi Naian, Wu Chengen, and Cao Xueqin.
The four masters of contemporary prose: Yang Shuo, Wei Wei, Qin Mu, and Liu Boyu (Wu Boyu is also good).
The four literary heroes of the early Tang Dynasty: Wang Bo, Yang Jiong, Lu Zhaolin, and King Luo Bin.
The four major calligraphers of the early Tang Dynasty: Ouyang Xun, Chu Suiliang, Yu Shinan, and Xue Ji.
The Four Friends of Articles in the Tang Dynasty: Du Shenyan, Cui Rong, Li Qiao and Su Weiwei.
The four masters of regular script: Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan, Ouyang Xun of the Tang Dynasty, and Zhao Mengfu of the Yuan Dynasty.
The four masters of calligraphy in the Song Dynasty: Cai Xiang, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu and Su Dongpo.
The four literary masters of the Northern Song Dynasty: Wang Anshi, Ouyang Xiu, Su Dongpo, and Huang Tingjian.
The four scholars of the Su family: Huang Tingjian, Zhang Lei, Huang Wujiu, and Qin Guan.
The four major disciples of Chengmen in the Song Dynasty: Xie Liangzuo, You Zuo, Yang Shi, and Lu Dalin.
The four major painters of the Southern Song Dynasty: Li Tang, Liu Songnian, Ma Yuan and Xia Gui.
The four great poets of the Southern Song Dynasty: Yang Wanli, Lu You, Fan Chengda and You Kuan.
The four great masters of Yuan opera: Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan, Zheng Guangzu and Bai Pu.
The four outstanding scholars of the Yuan Dynasty: Huang Jin, Yu Ji, Liu Guan and Jie Junsi.
The four masters of landscape painting in the Yuan Dynasty: Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, Ni Zan and Wang Meng.
The four great poets of the Yuan Dynasty: Yu Ji, Yang Zai, Fan Cun and Jie Qisi.
The four heroes of Wuzhong in the Yuan Dynasty: Gao Qi, Zhang Yu, Xu Bi, and Yang Ji.
The four great talents in Jiangnan in the Ming Dynasty: Tang Bohu, Zhu Zhishan, Wen Zhengming, and Zhou Wenbin.
The "Four Sons of Wuzhong" in calligraphy circles of the Ming Dynasty: Zhu Zhishan, Tang Bohu, Wen Zhengming and Xu Zhenqing.
The four kings of painters in the early Qing Dynasty: Wang Shimin, Wang, Wang Jian and Wang Yuanqi.
The Four Young Masters of Literature in the Early Qing Dynasty: Fang Yizhi, Chen Zhenhui, Maoxiang, and Hou Fangyu.