The Brush of the Qing Dynasty To look at the work of Zhang Shanghe is to witness a deliberate adherence to tradition during the waning years of the Qing dynasty. Born in 1839 in Shenyang, China, this artist did not seek to disrupt the established order but rather to refine it. His practice was rooted in the technical precision of ink on paper, specifically within the format of the hanging scroll. There is no room for ambiguity in his e…