Zhu Da (Bada Shanren) 1626-1705

Zhu Da, known by his sobriquet Bada Shanren, was a Chinese painter and calligrapher of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and a descendant of the Ming imperial family. Following the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644, he became a Buddhist monk and later a Daoist, channeling his grief and defiance into bold, expressive brushwork. His highly individualistic paintings of birds, fish, rocks, and landscapes, characterized by minimal strokes and subtle political symbolism, profoundly influenced later Chinese and global ink painting traditions.