Rongbaozhai Painting Manual: Ancient Paintings, Part 71, Landscapes by Shi Tao of the Qing Dynasty

This volume features more than 40 works by Shi Tao. In his early years, he modeled his landscapes on the masters of the Song and Yuan dynasties, developing a spare, elegant, and lucid style. In his later years, his brushwork became bold and free, his use of ink rich and flowing, and his compositions increasingly varied. He excelled especially at small album leaves. His flower paintings are graceful and vivid, brimming with natural charm and a fresh, refined spirit. His figures are awkwardly rendered yet quaint and archaic, with a style all their own. He was also skilled in calligraphy and poetry. His surviving works include Shi Tao’s One Hundred Arhats Album, Drafting After Seeking Out Every Strange Peak, Clear Sounds in Mountains and Waters, and Bamboo and Rocks. He wrote The Sayings of the Bitter Melon Monk on Painting. His famous ideas include the “One-Stroke Theory,” “Drafting After Seeking Out Every Strange Peak,” and “Brushwork and Ink Should Keep Pace with the Times.”