Bada Shanren, the enigmatic, eccentric monk-painter, created a wealth of beautiful and important paintings and calligraphy over the course of his life (1626-1705). A princely descendent of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) imperial house, he developed a distinctive, evolving individual style of painting that had a profound and lasting influence on other calligraphers. Two prominent collector-scholars, Wang Fangyu and Sum Wai, were devoted to the collection and study of Bada Shanren's oeuvre, and their gift to the Freer Gallery of Art of 20 superb works by the artist and an extensive research collection of around 1900 items, together with a further purchase of 13 works from their collection, have made the Freer the unrivalled centre for the exhibition and study of Bada's art. with an interest in Chinese painting and calligraphy.