Wang Zhen, Buddha

Wang Zhen (1867, 1938), also known by his Buddhist name Yiyuanshi, was a prominent Shanghai merchant, philanthropist, and self-taught artist who became one of the most celebrated Chinese painter-monks of the early 20th century. He was deeply influenced by Buddhism and devoted much of his later life to religious practice and art, particularly painting figures of the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and Luohans in an expressive, vigorous style. His works, often inscribed with Buddhist sutras and seals, bridged the worlds of commerce, charity, and spiritual devotion, and he collaborated closely with Wu Changshuo and other Shanghai School masters.