Master of the Lotus Garden: The Life and Art of Bada Shanren (1626-1705)

Master of the Lotus Garden: The Life and Art of Bada Shanren (1626-1705) by Fangyu, Wang. Hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780300049336.

Bada Shanren created one of the most compelling and distinctive bodies of graphic art in the history of Chinese culture. A prince of the Ming imperial family, he became a Buddhist monk after the Manchu invasion of China led to the collapse of the Ming dynasty. Thirty years later, when the turmoil of the conquest had passed, he returned to secular life as a painter, poet, and calligrapher. Although portrayed by his contemporaries as a mad eccentric, his art reveals a rational genius, and evidence suggests that he feigned madness to conceal his inner emotions. Despite his enigmatic character, he has had a profound influence on later generations of Chinese artists, especially those of the 20th century.