Song Guangbao

• Song Guangbao, also known as Mulin Jin Hua and Guān Bǎo, was from Wu County (modern Suzhou, Jiangsu), but later moved to Guilin, Guangxi. He was invited by Li Bingshou from Linchuan to Guangdong to teach flower painting, where he founded the Guangdong School. His style was later followed by figures like Guquan (Lian) and Song Shaolian. Known for his high moral character, Song Guangbao had a younger brother who served as the magistrate of Panyu but never visited him. He excelled in painting flowers, feathers, and insects, mastering the meticulous brushwork of the Northern Song Dynasty. His free-flowing brush style was influenced by Chen Tuojiang (Kuo) and Yun Shouping. His paintings were known for their restrained, dignified qualities, with a sense of vitality flowing through the scrolls.