About Qian Gu
Lived 1508 – 1572 (aged 63–64). Qian Gu was a Chinese painter.
Qian Gu, Landscape Handscroll, ca. 1556, ink on paper, 27.7 × 872 cm. Collection of Brooklyn Museum Qian Gu (Ch'ien Ku, ; ca. (1508-unknown) was a Chinese landscape painter during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). His date of death is unknown, but is traditionally given as around 1578.
Qian was born in Changzhou in the Jiangsu province. His style name was 'Shubao' and his sobriquet was 'Qingshi'. Qian's painting used a soft but firm style. Qian often used subjects found in his observations around the south of the Yangzi River.
Qian was a client of the literatus Wang Shizhen (1526–90), and frequently spent time at Wang's home in Taicang in his later years. In 1572 Qian painted an album of scenes along the Grand Canal while accompanying Wang Shizhen on a journey to the capital at Beijing.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Qian Gu's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Qian Gu's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Qian Gu?
Ming dynasty artist
When was Qian Gu born?
Qian Gu was born in 1508 in Suzhou.
When did Qian Gu die?
Qian Gu died in 1572.
What was Qian Gu's occupation?
Qian Gu was a painter.
What nationality was Qian Gu?
Qian Gu was Chinese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Qian Gu. https://biography.guide/qian-gu/
MLA: "Qian Gu." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/qian-gu/.
Chicago: "Qian Gu." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/qian-gu/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:04 UTC