Guan Daosheng

Who was Guan Daosheng?

Guan Daosheng was a Chinese poet and painter who was active during the Yuan Dynasty.

She was born in Huzhou and was the wife of Zhao Mengfu. She was talented in calligraphy and painting ink bamboo and plum with delicate and elegant strokes. The calligraphy of herself, her husband and her son Zhao Yong were collected in a scroll by Emperor Ren, who commented that it was a rare thing for a husband, wife and son to all be talented in calligraphy.

She inscribed poems on her paintings and used a style of poetry that was used rarely by women. In her poems she shows concern for her husband and children, but does this in a humoristic way. In one of her poems she speaks against her husband taking a concubine.