Wu Daozi’s authentic works have been handed down. Qianlong collected many until Puyi took them away from the palace. Only a few decades. How can we say they are not spreading? Only among the people, so later generations are called the saints of painting.
Wu Daozi is still famous in the field of painting because he created a painting school that has dominated the field of folk painting for more than a thousand years - the Folk Traditional Painting School. The murals we see after the Tang Dynasty were all influenced by Wu Daozi. Yongle Palace in the Yuan Dynasty and Fangang Temple in the Ming Dynasty are both in the style of Wu Daozi, and Dunhuang murals are also rich in Wu style works.
Wu Daozi spent most of his life during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao years of the Tang Dynasty. He once studied calligraphy with famous calligraphers Zhang Xu and He Zhizhang, but they all ended in failure. In order to make a living, he learned painting from folk painters. Because he was diligent and studious, he quickly mastered the painting skills. At the age of 20, he emerged and became famous.
When he was young, Wu Daozi left his hometown and wandered to Luoyang. When Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty heard that he had outstanding painting skills, he asked him to join the palace as a court painter. Wu Daozi received favorable conditions that he had never had in his life. He was very excited. At the request of the court, he painted some historical paintings and portraits of royal members. At the same time, he often painted murals in Chang'an and Luoyang.
Wu Daozi painted boldly. If he had help, he could write very quickly. Every time he paints, it is like a wonderful performance that attracts people to watch. It is said that when he painted the halo on the head of the Buddha statue in the temple, he could paint it perfectly without using tools.