Li Di Explained

Li Di (; 1100 – after 1197) was a Chinese imperial court painter during the Song Dynasty.^[1] He was noted for painting flowers, birds, bamboo, and animals in motion.^[2] Li was a member of the Academy of Worthies.^[3]

Biography

Li was born in Heyang (河陽), in modern Meng County (Chinese: 孟县) in Henan Province. He worked at the Imperial Painting Academy, and his career spanned the reigns of emperors Xiaozong, Guangzong, and Ningzong.

The exact dates of his life are uncertain, only that his first signed painting is dated 1125, and his last known painting is dated 1197.

Family

Li Di's son, Li Demao, was also a painter in the Imperial Painting Academy.^[4]

References

• Barnhart, R. M. et al. (1997). Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting. New Haven, Yale University Press. .
• Cihai Bianji Weiyuanhui (Chinese: 辞海编辑委员会) (1979). Cihai (Chinese: 辞海). Shanghai, Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House.

Notes and References

1. Barnhart, p. 129.
2. Cihai, p. 1262.
3. Book: Zhou, Mi. 5 March 2013. Zhou Mi's Record of Clouds and Mist Passing Before One's Eyes: An Annotated Translation. January 2002. 2. Brill. 90-0412605-8. 165.
4. Red and White Cotton Roses, Tokyo National Museum, Google Arts & Culture.