Former Residence of Luo Pin

Former Residence of Luo Pin

The former residence of Luo Pin is a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage site.

Former Residence of Luo Pin

Located at No. 42 Mituo Lane, also known as "Zhucao Shilin," and is now a provincial-level cultural heritage site. The residence includes the Xiangye Cottage, the Weary Bird’s Nest, living quarters, and a study. It is the only remaining residence of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" that has been preserved to this day. Luo Pin was a renowned painter during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns and a leading figure among the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou.

Luo Pin was originally from She County, Anhui, and his family had lived in Yangzhou for generations. He was born in the 11th year of the Yongzheng reign (1733). Luo Pin was largely self-taught and claimed to have mastered the techniques of all thirteen painting categories in his youth and to have read five thousand volumes of unusual books. At the age of 21, he married the painter Fang Wanyi, and at 24, he became a disciple of the painter Jin Nong. Both teacher and student were devout Buddhists and shared a strong rapport. After Jin Nong’s death, Luo Pin handled his funeral arrangements. Luo and his wife and children were all skilled painters, mostly known for their plum blossom paintings, and were collectively referred to as the "Luo Family Plum School." In pursuit of fame, Luo Pin traveled to the capital three times in his life to showcase his art. His first trip to Beijing was at the age of 39, where his eight paintings titled "Ghost Amusements" gained widespread attention among high-ranking officials, with nearly a hundred people composing inscriptions on the paintings on the very day they were displayed. Painting ghosts was, in effect, a satirical commentary on various aspects of human society, with a very sharp underlying message. These works are considered the pioneering pieces of Chinese comic art. His second trip to Beijing was at the age of 47, and the third at 58. In the capital, his reputation as a painter grew significantly, and he received many commissions, though earnings remained modest. He lamented, "I pity myself for not being as free as chirping birds, who claim the highest branches for life." He attended the Qianlong Emperor’s Grand Banquet for Centenarians in the first year of the Jiaqing reign. He returned home at the age of 66 and passed away the following year. Critics believe his paintings embodied an "ancient, elegant, and profound" style, representing an evolution of the artistic approaches of Zheng Banqiao and Jin Nong, and ushered Qing Dynasty painting into a new realm.

Luo Pin: (1733–1799), courtesy name Dunfu, also known by the art names Liangfeng and Monk of Flower Temple. Originally from She County, Anhui, he resided in Yangzhou and once lived in Mituo Lane on Caiyi Street. He referred to his dwelling as "Zhucao Shilin." He was a direct disciple of Jin Nong. He never held an official position and loved to travel. Proficient in figure painting, Buddhist portraiture, landscapes, flowers and fruits, as well as plum and bamboo, he inherited his master’s style but was not confined by it, developing a unique and unconventional brushwork style. His works vary greatly in theme, especially notable for his ghost paintings. The "Scroll of Ghost Amusements" is one of his most famous surviving works, in which the artist used exaggerated techniques to depict a bizarre and strange world of ghosts, using them to ... More details about Luo Pin++

Further Reading:

· Yangzhou Municipal Cultural Heritage Sites (Batches 1 to 3)

· Seventh Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites