Wang Ximeng (王希孟) (1096—1119), Chinese, Song Dynasty (960–1279), A prodigious painter of the late Northern Song dynasty, is the only artist in Chinese history celebrated for eternity through a single masterpiece. He entered the imperial painting academy at a young age and later served in the imperial library, where Emperor Huizong personally instructed him in brushwork and ink techniques. In 1113, at 18, he completed Thousand Li River and Mountain (千里江山图), a seminal work of blue-green landscape painting (lüse huà) that synthesizes Southern and Northern painting traditions.

The scroll features meticulous depictions of mountains, rivers, and daily life, celebrated for its harmonious use of mineral pigments like malachite and azurite, as well as its masterful composition employing principles of depth and perspective. Little is recorded about Wang’s life after the painting’s creation; he died in his early twenties, likely due to illness or exhaustion. His sole surviving work, now housed in the Palace Museum, remains a cornerstone of Chinese art history.