Gao Yi

CHINA, Hebei, Baoding; Northern Song dynasty

Gao Yi was a painter from Khitan (present day Zhuzhou, Baoding). He initially made a living as a pharmaceuticals salesman, but often offered his paintings to his customers, who were amazed at his talent. Gao’s painting, Supernatural Beings Searching the Mountain, was later offered as a tribute to Emperor Taizong (reigned 976–997) of the Song dynasty. The emperor greatly appreciated the painting, and subsequently summoned Gao into the Imperial Painting Academy to work as a painter-in-attendance.
Gao was skilled in painting Buddhist and Daoist figures. Using a contrasting variety of light coloring with heavy ink, the spirits he drew were vivid and charming. He is well-known for the detailed murals of Illustration of King Asoka and Tejaprabha Buddha Subduing the Nine Luminaries he was commissioned to paint on the wall of the Great Hero Hall at Xiangguo Temple in Henan. His paintings are recorded in the Evaluation of Famous Painters of the Song Dynasty.