Shen Chou, the founder of the Wu School, devoted his entire life as a literati painter. He revitalized the topographical landscape in China.

This study deals with Shen Chou's topographical landscape with a classification (Ch. 1) followed by a chronological study of Shen's depiction of Suchou (Ch. 2). Shen's Tiger Hill album in the Cleveland Museum, Famous Sights on Two Rivers album in the Shanghai Museum, and Tung-chuang album in the Nanking Museum are the focus of Chapter 3. A further study is made on three versions of one panoramic handscrolls which have been attributed to Shen Chou (Ch. 4). How Shen developed this style and category is examined in Chapter 5, and Shen's contribution to topographical landscape is explored in Chapter 6.

This dissertation is based primarily on the study of the three albums in the previously mentioned museums. This includes the seals, inscriptions and the associated records. Although Shen Chou was not the first one to create topographical landscape, his numerous depictions of Suchou scenery combined with the traditional literati spirit enabled him to establish a new trend. Shen Chou set the milestone for Chinese topographical landscape.