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Zheng Banqiao | The Eight Eccentric Painters of Yangzhou, with Zheng Banqiao as its representative, refers to the painters in the region of Yangzhou in the reigns of Kangxi and Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Their paintings have strong personal character, breaking away
from the restrains of that time. The style of their paintings has influenced a lot of great painters of later generations, such as Zhao Zhiqian, Qi Baishi and Wu Changshuo. The eight painters were not only masters of poem, calligraphy and painting, but also good at seal cutting.
Rooted in the background of that time, the eight painters were Jin Nong, Huang Shen, Zheng Xie (Zheng Banqiao), Li Shan, Li Fangying, Wang Shishen, Gao Xiang and Luo Pin. Their paintings did not follow the old brushstroke conventions, making them look strange compared with other paintings f the time. In addition, these painters were proud and uncontrolled and had bold personalities; thus they were named the Eight Eccentric Painters. Their paintings were not fully understood by many people at that time and were considered eccentric. But they opened a new era in Chinese painting history and created new flower-and-bird painting. |
