Luo Ping

But from an early age the youth orphan was recognized as a talented poet and gained admission to the exclusive artistic circles of his home town, Yangzhou.

The 70-year-old master took a great liking to the talented young man, who was in turn inspired by the emotional and expressive art of his mentor.

When, after 6 years of this close collaboration, Jin Nong died, Luo buried his teacher with as much reverence as if it were the funeral of his own father.

In the second half of his life, Luo often visited the capital, Beijing, where he caused a sensation in the fashionable cultural scene.

Throughout his life he saw himself as an austere Buddhist and signed his works with the name "Monk of the Temple of Flowers".