Ren Xiong

Ren was proficient in various genres including figure painting, flowers-and-birds, and landscape painting, working in both meticulous (gongbi) and freehand (xieyi) styles. He was particularly renowned for his figure paintings. His style was primarily influenced by Chen Hongshou, though Ren developed his own distinct approach characterized by fresh, lively brushwork, quiet elegance, and decorative appeal. According to many scholars of Chinese art, the particular definition of pictorial naturalism, might result from contacts established with the art of photography, rather than a “simple” assimilation of Western painting techniques and models.