zhu ruoji, also known as shitao, was a chinese buddhist monk, calligrapher, and landscape painter who lived during the early qing dynasty. born in 1642 in quanzhou county, guangxi province, zhu ruoji was a member of the royal house descended from the elder brother of zhu yuanzhang. he narrowly avoided catastrophe in 1644 when the ming dynasty fell to invading manchus and civil rebellion. early life and career having escaped by chance from the fate to which his lineage would have assigned him, zhu ruoji assumed the name yuanji shitao no later than 1651 when he became a buddhist monk. he moved…