Bada Shanren: 7 works

'Zhu Da, better known as Bada Shanren, was born into the Yiyang branch of the Ming imperial family in 1626, in Nanchang, Jiangxi province. His work ineradicably changed the course of the history of Chinese painting more than almost any other artist.'

'Zhu Da(1626-1705) was born in Nanchang being a descendant of Zhu Quan, Prince of Ning of the Ming Dynasty. He became a monk in a monastery after the Ming Dynasty was overthrown.'

'His running script, mainly influenced by Wang Xianzhi, stands out with its own unique style, featuring simplicity and roundness. Zhu Da was one of the "Four Monks of the Early Qing Dynasty," with the other three being Hongren, Kun can, and Shitao.'

'Bada's creative approach to the styles of the Yuan masters was largely inspired by the artist Dong Qichang's theory and style of painting.'

'Like the Yuan masters, Bada painted his inner landscapes in the expressive xieyi (writing ideas or conceptions) manner and showed his mastery of calligraphy through the eloquent ease of his brush.'

'Bada has used the images of nature to express his inner vision and the brushwork of calligraphy to 'write' landscapes of the mind.'

'Nowadays, some people take Bada Shanren as the originator of Chinese minimalism art, and some also compare him to Paul Cézanne, thinking that his works present extreme modernity. This is perhaps a misreading of Bada Shanren himself and his works, however, today when Chinese experimental ink painting has acheived a rapid development, when Chinese contemporary artists and art historians seek "modernity" base on Chinese paintings, Bada Shanren's traditional works no doubt have new value for exploration.'