Bian’s original name was Bian Weiqi. He was a native of Huai-an, modern day Shanyang, Jiangsu Province. As a professional painter, he lived in Yangzhou and was known as one of the ‘Eight Eccentrics’. In this album, Bian’s proficiency in painting flowers and objects taken from daily life is evident. His brushwork ranged from wet strokes used to delineate peony petals and crabs, to fine, dry strokes simulating Western shading seen on the custard apple in this album. Although Bian’s strokes are decisive and purposeful, one cannot help but detect a sense of melancholy and vulnerability in the images he paints.
