Zheng Xie
The Poet Painter of Yangzhou: The Soul of Zheng Xie Zheng Xie, known to history by the evocative art name Banqiao, remains one of the most singular and spirited figures of the Qing dynasty. His life was a profound journey from the depths of poverty in Xinghua County to the heights of intellectual and artistic renown. While he successfully navigated the rigorous imperial examination system to serve as a magistrate in Shandong, his heart never truly belonged to the rigid corridors of bureaucracy. Zheng Xie’s character was defined by an unyielding moral compass; he famously chose to resign his…
The Subject Atlas
A chart of Zheng Xie's corpus mapped not by date but by subject. Spokes are what they painted; rings are when; and the threads between stars reveal the patrons and places that secretly connect them.
Spokes — Subject
Each arm of the atlas gathers works by what they depict: portraits, sacred scenes, mythologies, and the scientific studies. Click a spoke to swing that cluster to the top.
Rings — Career Period
Distance from the center marks time. The innermost ring is the earliest period; the outermost, the final years. Style matures as you move outward.
Threads — Shared Context
Coloured lines link works bound by the same patron, commission, or theme. Trace a context to watch related clusters light up across subjects.
