Qiu Ying Facts for Kids

The Emperor Guangwu Fording a River

In this Chinese name, the family name is Qiu.

Quick facts for kids Qiu Ying

Born	1494 Taicang, Jiangsu
Died	1552 Taicang, Jiangsu
Known for	Gongbi
Movement	Zhou Chen, Wu School, Four Masters of the Ming dynasty

Patron(s)	Chen Guan, Zhou Fenglai (1523–1555), Xiang Yuanbian

Qiu Ying (Chinese: 仇英; pinyin: Qiú Yīng; Wade–Giles: Ch'iu Ying) was a famous Chinese painter. He lived from about 1494 to 1552. Qiu Ying was known for his special painting style called gongbi. This style uses very careful and detailed brushwork.

Qiu Ying was born into a simple family in Taicang, China. His family later moved to Suzhou. There, he started learning to be a lacquer artisan, someone who decorates objects with a special shiny coating. Even though his family was not rich, Qiu Ying had a natural talent for painting.

Becoming a Master Painter
- How He Painted
- His Unique Style
Famous Works and Influence
- Well-Known Paintings
- His Family's Artistic Legacy
Gallery of Qiu Ying's Art
Images for kids
See also

Becoming a Master Painter

Qiu Ying learned painting from a well-known artist named Zhou Chen. He also studied and copied old paintings from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and Song Dynasty (960-1279). He became so good at copying that his paintings looked exactly like the originals!

How He Painted

Qiu Ying painted with help from rich people who loved art. These people were called patrons. Three of his most important patrons were art collectors. One was Chen Guan from Suzhou. The other two were Zhou Fenglai and Xiang Yuanbian. Xiang Yuanbian was a very famous collector.

Because Qiu Ying was so good at copying, he got to see and learn from many old paintings. This helped him develop his own unique painting style.

His Unique Style

The Wu School of painting in Suzhou often used ink washes. But Qiu Ying also used a style called blue-and-green. He mixed different techniques into his art. His paintings of people, landscapes, and flowers all had his special touch.

Qiu Ying used his brush very carefully and elegantly. His pictures of landscapes and people were always neat and well-balanced. His paintings were not just beautiful; they were also very decorative. They had a graceful feeling, like art made by scholars.

Famous Works and Influence

Qiu Ying was considered one of the Four Masters of the Ming dynasty. This means he was one of the most important painters of his time.

During the Ming dynasty, China's economy grew a lot. Many people wanted Qiu Ying's paintings. Because of this, many copies of his work were made. Other artists even signed his name to their paintings to sell them.

Well-Known Paintings

Some of Qiu Ying's most famous paintings include:

Harp player in a pavilion (now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
The Emperor Guangwu Fording a River (in the National Gallery of Canada)
Dwellings of the Immortals - Jade Cave FairyLand (in The Palace Museum in Forbidden City, Beijing)

A popular painting called Journey to Shu (also known as Emperor Minghuang's Journey to Sichuan) is a copy of a landscape by Qiu Ying. This painting is in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. You can see more about this painting in the gallery: Emperor Ming-huang's Flight to Sichuan.

His Family's Artistic Legacy

Qiu Ying's daughter, Qiu Zhu, and his son-in-law, You Qiu, also became painters. Qiu Zhu's style was delicate and beautiful. You Qiu learned from his father-in-law and was especially good at "baimiao," which is a fine-line drawing style using ink.