Li Fangying

Author: Li Fangying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: The Rise of the "Eight" (Eight Eccentrics) in the 18th Century Painting Scene is written in Li Fangying, highlighting an important phenomenon in the 18th-century art world. Among the eight families recorded in Wuboluoshi Shuhua Guomeikao (A Catalogue of Paintings and Calligraphy Seen in the Wuboluosi Collection), three were not professional painters. Like other literati who pursued studies and official careers, they "aspired to be sages through learning and served the country with their hearts," only turning to selling paintings for a living after their official careers failed. Zheng Banqiao was the most famous among them, followed by Li Fuchang, whose artistic achievements surpassed Banqiao. As for Li Fangying, who Zheng Banqiao called "Brother Li Si," although Fuchang praised his plum blossom paintings as "purely natural and of the same high caliber as Yuanzhang and Buzhang," he has been rarely studied or reviewed until the 1980s when scholars from both sides of the Taiwan Strait began to pay attention to him. This article, based on research from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and incorporating some personal insights, provides an overview of his life, thoughts, and paintings.