A Life Amidst Changing Dynasties The life of Yang Bu unfolded during a period of profound upheaval in China, as the late Ming Dynasty gave way to the Qing. Born in 1598, he moved through the cultural centers of Beijing and Suzhou, finding himself part of a sophisticated circle that included figures like Dong Qichang and Chen Jiru. He was a man of letters and brushwork, a poet who understood the weight of a well-placed word and the quiet power of a landscape. Yet, as the political tides turned and the Chongzhen emperor met his end on Coal Hill, Yang Bu chose a path of seclusion rather than the…