Liu Songnian

{{Short description|Painter (1174–1224)}}

File:A Children's Puppet Show.jpg

File:Liu Songnian Testing Bell.jpg

File:Four_Generals_of_Song.jpg (second from left), Zhang Jun (fourth from left), Liu Guangshi (second from right) and Han Shizhong (fourth from right)]]

Liu Songnian (刘松年 or traditional Liu Sung-nien, 1174–1224 CE), was a Chinese landscape painter during the early Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279). He was active from about 1190-1230 and is considered one of the Four Masters of the Southern Song dynasty, which also included Li Tang, Ma Yuan and Xia Gui.{{cite web|last=(not provided)|title=Liu Songnian: One of the Four Masters of the Southern Song Dynasty|url=http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/77Arts6689.html|publisher=Cultural China: Arts (Calligraphy and Painting)|accessdate=10 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120526003032/http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/77Arts6689.html|archive-date=26 May 2012|url-status=dead}} He studied and worked at the Imperial Academy of Painting in Hangzhou, capital of the Southern Song dynasty.

Liu entered the Southern Song Imperial Academy of Painting as a student in 1189, and went on to become a painter-in-attendance from 1190 to 1194.{{cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/topic/liu-songnian|title=Liu Songnian Brief Biography|accessdate=2012-05-22}} During the reign of Emperor Ningzong of Song, he received a prestigious award for his work. Liu followed the tradition of Li Tang. Liu's style influenced the work of Ma Yuan and Xia Gui.

{{wide image|file:Literary Gathering in the Western Garden - Attributed to Liu Songnian.jpg|x250px|Literary Gathering in the Western Garden, attributed to Liu Songnian|dir=rtl}}