The Life and Art of Lin Xue Lin Xue, known by her courtesy name Lin Tiansu, was a figure of the Ming dynasty who operated at the intersection of poetry, calligraphy, and painting. Born in Fujian, her early life was defined by her residence near the West Lake in Hangzhou. Before entering a respectable family through marriage, she worked as a courtesan. This period of her life placed her in the social circles of the era's intellectual e…