Dong Qichang
In Chinese painting, brush painting was one of the "four arts" expected to be learnt by China's class of scholar-officials. Ink wash painting appeared during the Tang dynasty (618–907), and its early development is credited to Wang Wei and Zhang Zao, among others. In the Ming dynasty, Dong Qichang would identify two distinct styles: a clearer, grander Northern School or or , Japanese: or ), and a freer, more expressive Southern School ( or or , Japanese: or ), also called "Literati Painting" (, Japanese: ).