Shitao

Zhu Ruoji (1642 - 1707), better known as Shitao or Shi Tao, was a Chinese painter and calligrapher (disciplines that are often linked in this country), of royal blood, since his family descended from the eldest brother of the founder of the Chinese Ming dynasty. Shortly after he was born, the Qing dynasty of Manchu origin was established, and he had to flee and hide in monasteries and live anonymously and without attracting too much attention in order to survive for part of his life.

A painter who integrated various currents in himself, since on the one hand he was a disruptor in some facets of art (he believed in innovation and not in imitation), but on the other hand his paintings depict landscapes and various typical images of Chinese painting. He was part of the so-called "Group of the Four Monks", a disruptive current as has been commented. A perfect example of this point of view is his painting "10,000 Ugly Inkblots", preceding the work of XX Century Jackson Pollock abstract expressionist artist.

To his own and others' delight, as he gained notoriety, he called himself by various nicknames, such as the "Old Man of Qingxiang", "The Cleansed One", the "Bitter Gourd" Monk or the "Honorable Blind One".

He wrote several texts on art or artistic treatises, including "Sayings on Painting from Monk Bitter Gourd", a research work that is a must read for those who want to understand the art of painting and especially Chinese painting.

A pictorial production of a certain extent has been preserved from him, among which we can highlight everything related to the representation of nature and landscape, especially the smallest details with works in which we can appreciate his taste for calligraphy and where his own doctrines on brushstrokes set forth in his previously mentioned treatise are applied, in works such as "Plum Blossom" or "Rocks, Orchids and Bamboo".

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Shitao Rocks, Orchids, and Bamboo painting fragment - November, 29; 2024