Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou

Yangzhou has been famous for its economic prosperity since the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Although it has been devastated by wars, it is still located in a strategic location, with convenient transportation, fertile land and rich products. , after war, prosperity always quickly returns. In the Qing Dynasty, although it was devastated by the Ten-Day Massacre, it prospered again through the development of Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong dynasties, becoming a metropolis on the southeast coast of my country and an important trade center in the country. Wealthy businessmen and businessmen gathered from all directions, especially the salt industry, which was rich in the southeast.

Economic prosperity also promotes the prosperity of cultural and artistic undertakings. Literati and celebrities from all over the world gathered in Yangzhou. Under the initiative of local officials, poetry and literary receptions were often held. His poetry creations are famous throughout the country. Some salt merchants were wealthy and elegant, and they often welcomed celebrities from all over the world who came to Yangzhou. Yangzhou thus attracted many celebrities from all over the country, including many poets, writers, and artists. Therefore, Yangzhou at that time was not only the economic center of the southeast, but also the center of culture and art.

In order to meet the needs of their own luxurious life, wealthy businessmen have a large demand for material and spiritual products, such as exquisite handicrafts, treasures and jade, fresh clothes and delicacies. They also focus on searching for calligraphy and painting. beg. As the trend spreads, middle-class families and even wealthy people among the common people also seek to hang calligraphy and painting in their rooms to show their elegance. There is a folk proverb that "if there is no calligraphy and painting in the house, it is not an old family." The huge demand for calligraphy and painting attracted and produced a large number of painters. According to the "Yangzhou Painting Boat Record", there are more than one hundred and dozens of local painters and slightly famous painters from various places in Yangzhou, many of whom were famous at that time, and the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" are the famous ones among them.

The works of the Yangzhou School of Painting, represented by the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou", have distinctive personalities in terms of materials, conception, and composition. The formation of this artistic style is closely related to the innovative trends in the painting world and changes in people's aesthetic tastes at that time. From the late Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty, Chinese painting was restrained by conservative ideas. Copying was the mainstream, and the painting world lacked vitality. This trend of decline aroused the dissatisfaction of knowledgeable people and talented painters, and Shi Tao, a great painter who advocated innovation, appeared in Yangzhou. Shi Tao's slogans of "pen and ink should adapt to the times" and "find the right method if there is no way" shocked the animation world like the sound of footsteps in an empty valley. Shi Tao's theory and practice "opened up a school in Yangzhou", and later finally gave birth to a group of innovative painters such as the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou".

1. Who are the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou"?

There are different opinions on which painters the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" refer to. Some say eight, some say more than eight; some say these eight, some say the other eight. According to various writings, there were as many as fifteen people. Because Li Yufen's "Bibliographic Examination of Calligraphy and Paintings of the Oubolo Chamber" is the earliest and most complete record of the "Eight Eccentrics", most people still refer to the eight proposed by Li Yufen in the late Qing Dynasty. Namely: Wang Shishen, Zheng Xie, Gao Xiang, Jin Nong, Li E, Huang Shen, Li Fangying, and Luo Pin. As for other painters mentioned by others, such as Hua Yan, Min Zhen, Gao Fenghan, Li Mian, Chen Zhuan, Bian Shoumin, Yang Fa, etc., they can also be incorporated because their painting styles are similar. Because the character "eight" can be regarded as an adjective or a divisor.

The "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" are knowledgeable and good at poetry. Most of them went through ups and downs in life, and finally embarked on the path of making a living by selling paintings. Although they sell paintings, they express their feelings through paintings. They have higher pursuits in the art of calligraphy and painting, and do not want to join the ranks of ordinary painters. Their knowledge, experience, artistic accomplishment, profound skills and artistic pursuit of innovative ideas have made them different from ordinary painters. They have reached the realm of new ideas, new compositions and new techniques, created a new generation of painting style, and laid the foundation for the development of China. Immortal achievements.

Chinese painting has a long history. Among them, literati painting has flourished since the Tang and Song Dynasties, gradually enriched and developed, formed a complete theoretical system, and left a large number of works. This is the pride of Chinese painting. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many painting schools have emerged in various parts of China, each with its own characteristics, competing for dominance in the painting world. The most influential ones were the Yushan and Loudong painting schools headed by the "Four Kings", while in Yangzhou, the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" painting style headed by Jin Nong and Zheng Xie formed. These painters have inherited and carried forward our country's painting tradition, but they have different views on inheriting the tradition and creating methods. Painting schools such as Yushan and Loudong emphasize copying and learning from the ancients, taking compliance with ancient laws as their principle, taking the promotion of ancient laws as their own responsibility, and claiming to be "authentic". Their creative method, as the "authentic" painter Wang Hui said, is to "use the straight ink of the Yuan Dynasty, use the hills and valleys of the Song Dynasty, and use the style and charm of the Tang Dynasty to achieve great success." They followed the footsteps of the ancients, and most of their works were imitations of the works of ancient masters (of course there were also creations in imitations of antiquity), forming a rigid situation that restricted the hands and feet of painters. The "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" schools also respect tradition, but they are different from the "authentic" ones. They inherited the creative methods of Shi Tao, Xu Wei, Zhu Da and others, "imitating their ideas without looking at the signs", and did not adhere to the ancient methods of copying. For example, Zheng Banqiao admired Shi Tao, and when he learned from Shi Tao, he also "leaved half of it, learned half of it, but did not learn the whole thing."

Shi Tao had an important influence on the formation of the artistic style of "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou". He proposed "learning from nature" and "using my own methods" and opposed "immuting the past". He asked painters to absorb creative materials from nature and emphasized that works must have a strong personality. He believes that "the men and eyebrows of the ancients cannot bear my appearance; the hearts and souls of the ancients cannot enter my belly and intestines. I use my heart and soul to reveal my men."

Shi Tao's painting thoughts laid the theoretical foundation for the emergence of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" and their application in practice. The "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" found inspiration from nature and found themes from life. They were unique in their writing and did not want to be the same as others, which was refreshing at the time. People often regard things they rarely see as weird, so they feel novel about the works of "Eight Eccentrics" that express their own souls and gallop freely, and call them weird. There are also some painters who are accustomed to tradition and think that the paintings of the "Eight Monsters" are beyond the standards, so they belittle the Eight Monsters, saying that they are partial masters and heretics, saying that they "show newness for a while and are only popular in a hundred miles." Appreciators praised their works for their unrestrained and free-flowing brushstrokes, which were not bound by established and ancient methods. They broke the rigid situation at that time, brought new vitality to Chinese painting, and influenced and nurtured later artists such as Zhao Zhiqian, Wu Changshuo, and Qi Baishi. Waiting for art masters.

2. Where are the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou"?

There are different opinions as to where the "eight monsters" of Yangzhou are. Some people think they are weird, but in reality, this is not the case. The Eight Monsters themselves have experienced ups and downs. They have a sense of injustice, infinite anger, and deep sympathy for the poor. With their keen insight and kind sympathy as intellectuals, they criticized ugly things and people, either in poems or in calligraphy and painting. Although this kind of thing is not uncommon in Chinese history, it is not common either. It is natural for people to regard it as "weird". However, their daily behaviors did not exceed the scope of etiquette at that time, and they were not as indulgent as the literati of the Jin Dynasty - pretending to be crazy, crying and laughing. They communicated with officials and celebrities, participated in poetry receptions, and behaved like normal people. Therefore, it makes no sense to judge them as "weird" based on their daily behavior. Now we can only study their works.

The "Eight Monsters" do not want to follow the path that others have created, but want to find another way. They want to create "articles that shake the heavens and earth, words that shock thunder and rain, words that curse gods and ghosts, and paintings that are unprecedented in the past." To establish themselves, they must be different from the ancients, not follow the current customs, and have an original style. Their works go against people's appreciation habits. People find them novel and feel a little "weird". As Zheng Xie himself said: "Don't be unique when it comes to writing, and don't want to be praised by ordinary people for calligraphy and painting. Everyone has his own style of decadence, trance, and admiration, and ordinary people laugh at me as a Banqiao weirdo." At that time, people had mixed praise and criticism for them. The most important point was that they deviated from "Authentic", this explains the main reason why it is called "weird". The Yangzhou Eight Eccentric painters broke through the shackles of "authenticity". On the basis of inheriting tradition, they focused on their own creation and expression, and worked hard throughout their lives to create a new style of painting.

The "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" are knowledgeable and good at poetry. Most of them went through ups and downs in life, and finally embarked on the path of making a living by selling paintings. Although they sell paintings, they express their feelings through paintings. They have higher pursuits in the art of calligraphy and painting, and do not want to join the ranks of ordinary painters. Their knowledge, experience, artistic accomplishment, profound skills and artistic pursuit of innovative ideas have made them different from ordinary painters. They have reached the realm of new ideas, new compositions and new techniques, created a new generation of painting style, and laid the foundation for the development of Chinese painting. Made immortal achievements.

Chinese painting has a long history. Among them, literati painting has flourished since the Tang and Song Dynasties, gradually enriched and developed, formed a complete theoretical system, and left a large number of works. This is the pride of Chinese painting. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many painting schools have emerged in various parts of China, each with its own characteristics, competing for dominance in the painting world. The most influential ones were the Yushan and Loudong painting schools headed by the "Four Kings", while in Yangzhou, the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" painting style headed by Jin Nong and Zheng Xie formed. These painters have inherited and carried forward our country's painting tradition, but they have different views on inheriting the tradition and creating methods. Painting schools such as Yushan and Loudong emphasize copying and learning from the ancients, taking compliance with ancient laws as their principle, taking the promotion of ancient laws as their own responsibility, and claiming to be "authentic". Their creative method, as the "authentic" painter Wang Hui said, is to "use the straight ink of the Yuan Dynasty, use the hills and valleys of the Song Dynasty, and use the style and charm of the Tang Dynasty to achieve great success." They followed the footsteps of the ancients, and most of their works were imitations of the works of ancient masters (of course there were also creations in imitations of antiquity), forming a rigid situation that restricted the hands and feet of painters.

The "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" also respect tradition, but they are different from the "authentic" ones. They inherited the creative methods of Shi Tao, Xu Wei, Zhu Da and others, "imitating their ideas without looking at the signs", and did not adhere to the ancient methods of copying. For example, Zheng Banqiao admired Shi Tao, and when he learned from Shi Tao, he also "leaved half of it, and learned half of it, but not the whole thing." Shi Tao had an important influence on the formation of the artistic style of "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou". He proposed "learning from nature" and "using my own methods" and opposed "immuting the past". He asked painters to absorb creative materials from nature and emphasized that works must have a strong personality. He believes that "the men and eyebrows of the ancients cannot bear my appearance; the hearts and souls of the ancients cannot enter my belly and intestines. I use my heart and soul to reveal my men." Shi Tao's painting thoughts laid the theoretical foundation for the emergence of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" and their application in practice. The "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" found inspiration from nature and found themes from life. They were unique in their writing and did not want to be the same as others, which was refreshing at the time. People often regard things they rarely see as weird, so they feel novel about the works of "Eight Eccentrics" that express their own souls and gallop freely, and call them weird.

There are also some painters who are accustomed to tradition and think that the paintings of the "Eight Monsters" are beyond the standards, so they belittle the Eight Monsters, saying that they are partial masters and heretics, saying that they "show newness for a while and are only popular in a hundred miles." Appreciators praised their works for their unrestrained and free-flowing brushstrokes, which were not bound by established and ancient methods. They broke the rigid situation at that time, brought new vitality to Chinese painting, and influenced and nurtured later artists such as Zhao Zhiqian, Wu Changshuo, and Qi Baishi. Waiting for art masters.

1. Zheng Xie [Zheng Banqiao], the leader of the Eight Eccentrics

Zheng Banqiao and his "Bamboo and Stone Pictures"

Banqiao during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, sitting facing the paper The shadow of the bamboo in the window spread out his pen and ink to draw his favorite bamboo. "The autumn wind passed by the window last night." He saw the breeze passing through the bamboo leaves and saw the bamboos swaying. Banqiao's bamboo painting theory is that he has "no idea". He did not learn from a teacher. He painted bamboo mostly from the sunlight and moonlight on paper windows and painted walls, and directly adopted the natural method. In response to Su Dongpo's statement that "you have a clear mind", Banqiao emphasized that you have "no knowledge of the bamboo in your mind" and "have no bamboo in your mind". The two theories may seem contradictory, but in essence they are similar. They emphasize the high degree of combination of conception and skilled skills, but Banqiao's method should be "like thunder and thunder, and vegetation growing in anger." In Banqiao's "Bamboo and Stone Picture", the bamboos are drawn thin and straight, standing tall and straight into the sky. Each of its leaves has a different expression. The ink is watery and has different shades, which realistically represents the bamboo. texture. In terms of composition, Banqiao coordinated the positional relationship between bamboo and stone and the text of the poem. The slender and rustic beauty of bamboo sets off another style of stone. This clump of plants becomes the ideal phantom of Banqiao. Regarding Banqiao’s bamboo, even Jin Nong, the leader of the “Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou”, lamented that compared to the paintings of the two of them, the bamboo he painted was not as forest-like as Banqiao’s.

2. Gao Qipei

The flower and bird fans are created with his fingers. Gao Qipei's finger-painted fan has two birds with elegant shapes, while the poem on the peonies says, "It is also similar to the rouge-painted peonies. The sun had already risen when the painting was done. It turns out that the flowers come from the country of Fusang, and people are not allowed to look at them in the moonlight." , the poem is quite interesting. What is surprising is that the picture suddenly appears with extremely beautiful peonies, which are extremely beautiful. Instead, they have the aura of self-destruction and unbearable decay after a beautiful time. The peonies in full bloom exude decadent beauty in the spring breeze. Gao Qipei (1672-1734), whose courtesy names were Wei Zhi and Wei San, and whose names were Qieyuan, Nancun and Shuqiedaoren. The ancestors moved from Shandong to Tieling, Liaoning, where they served under the Xianghuang Banner of the Han Army and served as Minister of the Ministry of Punishment. He was the teacher of Luo Pin, the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou". Gao Qipei is good at painting with his fingers, and the "finger painting" he created has become an important genre in painting. In his later years, Gao Qipei's finger painting reputation spread far and wide to North Korea, but he still painted "his nails were so damaged that they sucked blood, and he burned candles frequently every day". In the eighth year of Yongzheng (AD 1730), he responded to the imperial edict and painted in the Ruyi Pavilion of Yuanmingyuan for three years, creating fine silk paintings such as "Ten Thousand Miles of the Yangtze River". Gao Bing's "Finger Painting Theory" records that Gao Qipei once took a portrait of Lu Shuntu, Minister of the Ministry of War, and painted a standing portrait that was as tall as a real person. After the painting was completed, Lu Shuntu was ecstatic and said: "What a wonderful skill! What a great advancement!"

3. Jin Nong

Jin Nong (1487-1764), The courtesy name is Shoumen and the nickname is Dongxin. He is from Hangzhou and is known as the leader of the Eight Monsters. He was erudite and talented. He began painting after the age of fifty and remained poor throughout his life. He is good at flowers and birds, landscapes and figures, especially plum blossoms. The shapes of his paintings are ancient and simple, with sophisticated layouts and innovative ideas. His works include "Dark Plum Blossom Picture", "Moon Flower Picture" and so on. He created a unique official script style, which he called "lacquer script", which is also interesting. Huang Shen (1687-1768), whose courtesy name was Gongmao and nickname was Yinglaiao, was born in Ninghua, Fujian. He came from a poor family when he was a child, so he benefited from learning Huaisu calligraphy. He used cursive calligraphy to paint and created his own style. He was good at freehand brushwork with rough strokes and had the highest attainment in figure painting. Most of his works are about gods, Buddhas and Taoism, and there are also many works that reflect the lives of lower-class people in society. His works include "Drunk Sleep Picture", "Su Wu Shepherding Picture", etc. Li Yu KG－＊6〗Dan (1686-1762), courtesy name Zongyang, pseudonym Futang, was born in Xinghua, Jiangsu. He loved painting since childhood and became famous at the age of sixteen. He once served as the magistrate of Tengzhou County, Shandong Province. He was greatly influenced by Xu Wei and Shi Tao. His painting style is extensive and informal, with splashes of ink and elegant colors, and he uses "ink and wash to blend into strange things". His works include "Picture of Okra" and "Picture of Pine, Cypress and Orchid Stone". Li Fangying (1695-1755), courtesy name Qiuzhong and alias Qingjiang, was born in Nantong, Jiangsu Province. He served as county magistrate and prefect for about 20 years. He had a close friendship with Jin Nong and Zheng Xie. He was good at painting pine, bamboo, plum and orchid. In his later years, he specialized in painting plum blossoms. In a poem about the painting, he wrote: "This painting of plum blossoms is ordinary, and there is no curved strokes for people to see. The painter does not understand the customs, and there is no trace of horizontal lines in the brushstrokes." His works include "Picture of Swimming Fish", " "Xiaoxiang Wind Bamboo Picture" and so on. Gao Xiang (1688-1753), courtesy name Fenghan, also known as Xi Tang, was born in Yangzhou. Gao Xiang lived a poor life and had an arrogant personality. He admired Shi Tao throughout his life. He was good at painting landscapes, flowers and birds, and liked to paint sparse plum blossoms. His works include "Tandzhi Pavilion Picture" and so on. Wang Shishen (1685-1759), courtesy name Jinren and nickname Chaolin, was born in Xiuning, Anhui. When he was young, his family was poor, so he lived in Yangzhou and sold paintings to make a living. He lived in poverty and enjoyed Taoism, studied art intensively, and was good at painting plum blossoms. He, Jin Nong, Gao Xiang and Luo Pin were known as the four masters of plum painting at that time, and their works include "Ink Plum Blossom Picture" and so on. Luo Pin (1733-1799), named Xunfu and Liangfeng, was originally from She County, Anhui Province, and moved to Yangzhou. He is a disciple of Jin Nong. Among the "Eight Eccentrics", he is the youngest, but he has great knowledge and extraordinary writing skills. He stayed out of office all his life and made a living by selling paintings. He was in poverty all his life. His works include "Ghost Picture", "Drunken Zhongkui Picture", etc.

Zheng Xie (1693-1765), courtesy name Kerou and Banqiao, was born in Xinghua, Jiangsu. He was a scholar of Kangxi, a scholar of Yongzheng, and a Jinshi of Qianlong. He once served as the magistrate of Fan County and Weixian County in Shandong Province. He offended his superiors by opening a warehouse to provide relief to the victims, so he resigned angrily and settled in Yangzhou to make a living selling paintings. He is particularly active in thought and quite original. He is highly accomplished in both poetry and painting, and is good at painting bamboo, orchid and stone. He also created a six-and-a-half-point calligraphy style that integrates Zhen, Cao, Li and Zhuan. It is known as the "stone-paved street". He is a painter with a strong people-oriented nature. When he was the county magistrate of Weixian County, he painted a picture of bamboo for the governor, with the inscription: "I am lying in the office listening to the bamboos. It is suspected that it is the sound of suffering among the people. Some of my little Caozhou officials "Every branch and leaf is always about love."

Masaji Aoki came to China in the spring of 1922. The Japanese sinologist found a rubbing of Jin Dongxin's "Plum Blossoms" while visiting the night market in West Lake. In Hangzhou, the hometown of Mr. Dong Xin, Aoki found a picture of Dong Xin's art at a stall. Aoki said that this is because sincerity can lead to the gods. He recorded the scene at that time with the passion of worship ("Jiangnan Spring?; Bamboo Sawdust"). This "Picture of Plum Blossoms" is inscribed with Qijue, which Qingmu has chanted for a long time: "The wild plums are so thin that they are almost invisible. Thank you to the mountain monk for sharing one. I can't be busy behind closed doors at the moment. I have to swallow the sour fragrance and count the flowers." About Jin Dongxin , Wang Zengqi's short story "Golden Winter Heart" is very interesting. Because of Jin Dongxin's famous poem "The setting sun shines back on the Peach Blossom Crossing, and the catkins fly over in red", the salt merchant Cheng Xuemen gave him a thousand taels as a reward. As for Jin Dongxin's "Plum Blossom Picture", Qi Baishi copied it stroke by stroke and outlined it in white, which is very famous. The rubbings of "Plum Blossoms" purchased by Aoki Hangzhou and Jin Dongxin's "Plum Blossoms" copied by Qi Baishi are now in front of us. This is truly the ultimate romance for collectors.

4. Li Wei

Li Wei (1686--1762), named Zongyang, also known as Futang and Chao Daoren, was born in Xinghua, Jiangsu. In the 50th year of Kangxi's reign, he passed the imperial examination. In the 53rd year of Kangxi's reign, he was invited to serve as a painter in the inner court. He was excluded because he did not want to be bound by the orthodox painting style. In the third year of Qianlong's reign, he was selected as the magistrate of Teng County, Shandong Province, and returned because he disobeyed the officials. After Liang Ge was demoted, he went to Yangzhou to make a living by selling paintings. He has the closest relationship with Zheng Xie, so Zheng You sells paintings in Yangzhou and grows old with Li. In his early years, he learned landscape painting from his fellow villager Wei Lingcang and inherited Huang Gongwang's path. When he was serving in the imperial court, he studied painting with Jiang Ting, and his painting techniques were exquisite. Later, he sought advice from Gao Qipei, a master of finger painting, and further advocated freehand brushwork. In Yangzhou, he was inspired by Shi Tao's brushwork, so he painted with broken brushes and splashed ink. His style changed drastically, and he formed his own unique style of free flowing ink and ink blending into a unique and interesting style. He liked to write long inscriptions and postscripts on the paintings, with uneven handwriting. The picture is very rich, and his works have a great influence on the flower and bird paintings of the late Qing Dynasty.

5. Huang Shen

Huang Shen (1687-1770), also known as Gongmao, also known as Gongshou, also known as Yinglaiao, Donghai Buyi, etc., was born in Ninghua, Fujian. He is good at freehand brushwork of figures, with occasional paintings of flowers, birds, and landscapes, with bold strokes and bold colors. There is "Jiaohu Poetry Collection" extant. He is one of the versatile painters among the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou". Huang Shen's freehand figures create a unique style that incorporates cursive script into painting. When Huaisu's cursive script came to Huang Shen, it became "completely bald, intermittent and intermittent," and the writing style became more bold and bold, and the style became more bold and unbridled. With such wild cursive brushwork in painting, the strokes are "as fast as the wind," the atmosphere is majestic, and the stippling is like the wind blowing fallen leaves. Huang Shen's figure paintings mostly draw from stories about gods and immortals, and depict historical figures and real-life civilian lives such as woodcutters, fishermen, refugees and beggars, which brought a new breath to figure paintings in the Qing Dynasty. Huang Shen's character album "Lady Admiring Flowers" depicts a beautiful woman obsessed with flowers. The "Western Mountain Crane Drawing" is based on Su Shi's "Crane Flying Pavilion". There is a white crane standing on the right side of the picture. The old man seems to be looking up at the flying crane in the sky, while the boy is holding a flower basket, but he is enjoying himself. "I have always dreamed of the road to Yangzhou, and the cranes returned empty-handed" (Huang Shen's "Picture of Lin Bu Taming the Crane"). Huang Shen lived in Yangzhou twice for 17 years, ten miles away from Yangzhou, which became his lifelong attachment.

6. Li Fangying

Li Fangying (1695--1755), named Qingjiang, also known as Qiuchi, Yibaishanren, Yiyuan, Borrowed Garden Master, etc., Nantong, Jiangsu people. In the eighth year of Yongzheng's reign, he was appointed as the magistrate of Lanshan County, Shandong (now Linyi). He was arrested and imprisoned for offending his superiors. In the first year of Qianlong's reign, he was released and his official position was restored. Later, he served as county magistrate in Qianshan and Hefei, Anhui Province, but he was still dismissed from office because he was not well received. When you are an official, you will benefit from your administration and be virtuous. After leaving the official position, he lived in Nanjing and rented a garden. He often traveled to Yangzhou to sell paintings. He is good at painting pine, bamboo, orchid, chrysanthemum, plum, miscellaneous flowers, insects and fish. He can also paint figures, landscapes, and is especially good at painting plum blossoms. The work is bold and unconstrained, dripping with ink, with thick heads and random clothes, informal ink, and the intention is between ivy, white sun, and bamboo. Painted plum blossoms are known for their thin and hard appearance, with old trunks and new branches, and curved sides. There is a plum blossom pattern printed on the space, and the famous plum poem on the painting has a line that will not survive any setbacks. I also like to draw pines and bamboos in the strong wind. Work documents. He was capable of poetry, and later generations compiled "Plum Blossom Tower Poems", which contains only twenty-six poems, most of which are scattered in paintings.

7. Wang Shishen

Wang Shishen (1686--1759), named Jinren, nicknamed Chaolin, also known as Xidong Waishi, Late Spring Old Man, etc., was originally from She County, Anhui, and lived in Yangzhou Make a living by selling paintings. The handmade flowers and flowers are delicate and colorful with random touches. He is especially good at painting plum blossoms. He often goes to Meihua Ridge outside Yangzhou City to appreciate and write about plum blossoms. The plum blossoms he painted are famous for their dense stamens and numerous branches, which are light and elegant, Jin Nong said. The beauty of painting plum blossoms is due to his two friends in Guangling. Wang Chaolin painted many branches, and Gao Xitang painted sparse branches. ("Inscription on Painted Plum Blossoms") However, judging from his surviving works of plum blossom paintings, not all of them are dense branches, but sparse branches are also often painted.

No matter whether it is complex or simple, it has the charm of being wrapped in space with sparse fragrance and the wind and snow in the mountains and forests. At the age of fifty-four, his left eye became blind due to illness, but he was still able to draw plum blossoms. When he showed his blindness, he made an inscription: "I am blind in my left eye, but I still have one eye left to draw plum blossoms." At the age of sixty-seven, both eyes were blind, but he could still write wild cursive characters and sign with mind. It is said that one is blind to the eyes, not blind to the heart. He is good at poetry and is the author of "Chaolin Poetry Collection".

8. Luo Pin

Luo Pin, (1733-1799) a famous painter in the Qing Dynasty. The character is big, and the name is Liangfeng. It is also called Yiyun, also known as Huazhisi, Jinniu Mountain Man, Yuzhou Fisherman, and Shilian Old Man. His ancestral home is She County, Anhui Province, and he was later a native of Ganquan, Jiangsu Province (now Yangzhou). In Changzhou, he called his residence "Zhucao Shilin". He was a disciple of Jinnong and never became an official. He liked to travel. He paints figures, Buddha statues, landscapes, flowers and fruits, plums, orchids, bamboos, etc., and he does everything. The style of writing is innovative, elegant and unique. He is one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou". He was also good at painting "Ghost Pictures", depicting all kinds of ugly ghosts, all of which were extremely clever, in order to satirize the ugliness of society at that time. He is also good at engraving and is the author of "Biography of Guangyin Renren". After Jin Nong's death, he collected the manuscripts and funded the engraving, so that Jin Nong's works could be passed down to future generations. His wife Fang Wanyi, also known as Bailian, was also good at painting plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos and rocks, and was good at poetry. Zi Yunshao and Yun Zan were both good at painting plum blossoms and were known as the "Luo Family Plum Blossom School". His representative works include: "Picture of the Weather Sign Outside Things" (album), "Picture of the Coir raincoat on Two Peaks", "Picture of the Autumn Highs of Dangui", "Picture of the Sun as a Yin Barrier", "Picture of the Qing Yin of the Valley", "Picture of Painted Bamboo with Sound" wait. He is the author of "Fragrant Leaf Caotang Collection".

The Eight Eccentric Painters of Yangzhou broke through the shackles of "authenticity". On the basis of inheriting tradition, they focused on their own creation and expression, and spent their entire lives working hard to create a new style of painting. Undoubtedly, they have made great contributions to the development of Chinese painting. Their creative ideas and numerous works are precious heritage for us to learn and inherit.

After the "Four Monk Painters", another innovative painting school emerged - the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou". In fact, there were not only eight important painters active in the Yangzhou painting circle at that time, but about sixteen or seven. "Eight" is not the exact number. According to the earliest records, they are: Jin Nong, Huang Shen, Zheng Xie, Li (Yudan), Li Fangying, Wang Shishen, Gao Xiang and Luo Pin. So they are called weird because they are unconventional, deviant and weird when painting. In addition, most of them have strong personalities, are aloof and aloof, and behave wildly, so they are called "Eight Weirds".

The "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" have similar life experiences, thoughts and emotions. Most of them came from the intellectual class. Some stayed out of official positions throughout their lives. Some entered politics through the imperial examination and served as minor officials for a time, but were deposed or resigned one after another, and finally made a living by selling paintings. They lived a relatively poor life and were well aware of the corruption in the officialdom. They developed a character of contempt for the powerful and wild behavior. They used calligraphy and painting to express their inner resentment.

Most of their art is based on flowers and birds, with freehand brushwork as the main expression method. They attach great importance to individuality in their creations, strive for innovation, and break through traditional aesthetic norms to varying degrees, with some anti-traditional meanings. Their works have a strong subjective color, which is refreshing. But at that time, they were not fully understood, and were even regarded as heretical and "criticized". In fact, it was they who created a new situation in the painting world and broadened the path for the development of flower-and-bird painting.