Tao Shouli

CHINA, Anhui, Chizhou; Southern Tang Kingdom

Tao Shouli was a painter from Chiyang (present day Guichi, Chizhou). After failing the imperial examinations, he lived in seclusion in Qishan and immersed himself in poetry, calligraphy, painting, and playing the guqin. He was skilled in painting landscapes, portraits, carriages, horses, and buildings. He was also particularly accomplished in the depiction of Buddhist and Daoist images.
As recorded in Addendum to Famous Paintings of the Five Dynasties, Tao once painted a scroll of Arhats which was presented to Emperor Houzhu (reigned 961–975) of the Southern Tang Kingdom. On the Emperor’s birthday, the painting was hung in the Pavilion of Gold Mountain and Stream as an offering; it was highly regarded as a masterpiece by those who viewed it. His mural works, documented in Overview of Painting, include Early Morning Walk on the Mountain Road at Grass Hut and Sea Water at Qingliang Temple in Jiangsu.