The Imperial Brush of the Ming Dynasty Born in Hangzhou, Ni Duan lived through the shifting currents of the Ming dynasty. He was an imperial Chinese painter, a position that required a disciplined hand and a deep understanding of the traditions of his era. His life, spanning from 1436 to 1505, was defined by this service to the court, where his brush moved between the delicate rendering of human figures and the expansive, sweeping lines of the natural landscape. His style name, Zhongzheng, suggests a sense of balance and rectitude, qualities that likely informed his approach to the canvas. He…