Zha Shibiao

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Zha Shibiao(1615-1698) was a landscape painter and calligrapher from Anhui and connected to the Anhui school which is also called the Xin'an School. This school was noted for dry brushstrokes and sparse compositions. His family, and himself, were art collectors and Ming dynasty aristicrats. He had studied for the civil service exam under the Ming and received the "cultivated talent"(xiu cai) rank in his twenties. However he abandoned any attempt at an official career after the Manchu took over. After the 1670s he moved, or fled depending on the source, to Yangzhou. As a calligrapher he was influenced by Dong Qichang and Mi Fu. His landscapes were more influenced by Hong Ren and Ni Zan. His later works are considered to have had a wetter and more expressive feel then Hong Ren's. As a person he was said to be easy-going, but slightly reclusive. He also had a fondness for drink doing so into the late hours.