Fa Ruozhen

Place: 胶州

Born: 1613

Death: 1696

Biography:

Fa Ruozhen (1613–1696) was a scholar-official and prolific poet who focused on painting as his government career declined. He was born in Jiaozhou, Shandong Province, China. Fa Ruozhen was known for his fantastical mountainscapes permeated with clouds. This imposing landscape, painted in 1684 when the artist was seventy-two years old and still in his prime, is an exceptionally fine example of his mature style. Fa Ruozhen was a literati from Shandong province. Through Fa, this dissertation problematizes traditional scholarly narratives about Qing 'collaborators' and painters.