Ren Yi (; 1840–1896), also known as Ren Bonian, was a painter and son of a rice merchant who supplemented his income by doing portraits. He was born in

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

, but after the death of his father in 1855 he lived in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

. This move placed him in a more urban world that was exposed to Western thinking. In Shanghai he became a member of the

Shanghai School ''Haipai'' (, Shanghainese: ''hepha'', ; literally "hangai style") refers to the avant-garde but unique "East Meets West" culture from Shanghai in the 20th and 21st centuries. It is a part of the culture of Shanghai. Etymology The term was coine ...

which fused popular and traditional styles. Ren Bonian ranked with

Ren Xiong Ren Xiong (; July 19, 1823 – November 23, 1857) was a Chinese painter from Xiaoshan, Zhejiang, active during the late Qing dynasty. Ren belonged to the Shanghai School in Chinese painting and is known for his bold and innovative style. His b ...

Ren Xun Ren Xun (; ca. 1835–1893) was a Chinese painter during the Qing Dynasty. Ren was born in Xiaoshan in Zhejiang province. Ren came from a family of artists, his brother was Ren Xiong. His paintings were primarily of human figures, done in the ...

and

Ren Yu Ren or REN may refer to: Abbreviations * Orenburg Tsentralny Airport, IATA code REN, civil airport in Russia * Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), Portuguese company * Renanthera, abbreviated as Ren, orchid genus * Ringer equivalence number ...

as the "Four Rens." He was noted for his bold brushstrokes and use of color. In his earlier career the

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

painters influenced him, but later on he favored a freer style influenced by the works of

Zhu Da Bada Shanren (; 1626 – 1705), born Zhu Da (), was a Chinese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and painter of the ink wash painting style. He was of royal descent, being a direct offspring of the Ming dynasty prince Zhu Quan who had a feudal establi ...

Gallery

File:'Portrait of Gao Yong's Wife', ink on paper by Ren Yi (1840-1896), 1886, Honolulu Academy of Arts.jpg, ''Portrait of Gao Yong's Wife'' by Rèn Yi, 1886,

Honolulu Museum of Art The Honolulu Museum of Art (formerly the Honolulu Academy of Arts) is an art museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. The museum is the largest of its kind in the state, and was founded in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke. The museum has one of the largest single col ...

File:Ren Bonian - Playing the Flute - Walters 35101C.jpg, ''Playing the Flute'', 1860–80,

Walters Art Museum The Walters Art Museum, located in Mount Vernon-Belvedere, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is a public art museum founded and opened in 1934. It holds collections established during the mid-19th century. The museum's collection was amassed ...

Sources

*''Chinese Paintings in the Ashmolean Museum Oxford'' (132)

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

References

External links

Ren Bonian on China Online MuseumArtfact articleRen Bonian - ''Swallows and Plantain''
1840 births 1896 deaths Qing dynasty painters Artists from Shaoxing Painters from Zhejiang 19th-century Chinese painters {{China-painter-stub