Gu Kaizhi, a painter of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, was called "excellent in talent, painting, and crazy" by people at the time. His frank, simple, optimistic and sincere attitude towards life towards some worldly things has been described as "crazy" in several legends. According to legend, one spring, when he was going on a long trip, he gathered together the paintings he was satisfied with, put them in a cabinet, sealed them with paper, inscribed them, and gave them to a man named Huan Xuan for safekeeping. After Huan Xuan received the cabinet, he secretly opened the cabinet. When he saw the wonderful paintings inside, he took out all the paintings and sealed the empty cabinet. Two months later, Kaizhi came back. Huan Xuan returned the cabinet to Kaizhi and said, "I will return the cabinet to you, but I will not touch it." When I took the cabinet home and opened it, there was not a single painting left. Kaizhi exclaimed: "The wonderful paintings have spirit, they change and go away, just like a human being transformed into an immortal. It's wonderful! It's wonderful!"
Li Sixun, an outstanding painter in the Tang Dynasty. One day, the sound of water was heard in the palace at night. Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty said that Li Sixun must be an expert in spiritual communication. If he did not have the skills to advance in Taoism and was not buried in wealth, how could he have such a remote and leisure time! His son Zhaodao was also very famous in the calligraphy and painting circles at that time. At that time, people called their father and son "Big General Li and Little General Li". Big General Li refers to Li Sixun, and little General Li refers to Li Zhaodao. The green landscapes we talk about today are said to come from General Li.
Wang Shen was a painter in the Northern Song Dynasty. Wang Shen often went to the West Garden of his mansion to discuss poetry and painting with literati and painters. Li Gonglin once painted "Gathering in the West Garden" to record the facts. When Zhao Ji was King Duan before he came to the throne, he was also very close to Wang Shenguo. As a nobleman, Wang Shen was keen on poetry, calligraphy and painting, and became one of the central figures in artistic activities at that time. Wang Shenfu collected and built the Baohua Hall to collect ancient and modern Dharma calligraphy and paintings. He also invited painters such as Han Zhuo to compare and appreciate them. He often hung paintings by Li Cheng and Fan Kuan for evaluation. He said that Li Cheng's "moist ink and fine brushwork are misty and misty." If you move lightly, you can see the delicate beauty thousands of miles away." Fan Kuan's paintings are "like the mountains and mountains in front of you, strong and majestic, with strong and vigorous brushwork." The two are compared to "one literary and one military". Wang Shen had great discernment and was an important collector and connoisseur in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Mi Fu, a Chinese calligrapher and painter in the Northern Song Dynasty. Mi Fu's calligraphy and painting skills are very high, especially his copying skills. Some of the works of the "two kings" we see today are not "authentic". It is an imitation of Mi Fu. Legend has it that once, a calligraphy and painting dealer opened Mi Fu's door with an authentic work of the Tang Dynasty, intending to sell it to Mi Fu. The price is a bit high. Mi Fu said, you put it here first, and come back in five days. If I want it, you take the money; if I don't want it, you take the painting away. After Mi Fu finished speaking, the businessman left. On the seventh day, the merchant came. Mi Fu said, I have seen the painting, and it is good. The price is too high, and you won't give in, so please take the painting away. He opened the painting and said, "Watch whether it is this painting." The businessman replied politely: Yes, yes, yes. The businessman took the painting away. The next day, the businessman came again with the painting. As soon as he met Mi Fu, he smiled and said, I know you will come today. A friend invited me, but I didn't even go. I am waiting for you here. The businessman understood immediately and said: It was my poor eyesight that took away your copy, and I came here to return it today. Mi Fu laughed and said: If you don't come to me, I will definitely come to you. You took away Linben. I was very happy and felt an indescribable joy. Well, you took away Linben. Give it back to me. The merchant picked up the original copy and returned it to Mi Fu. Mi Fu narrated this incident to his friends, and laughed every time.