Jing Qingbo (1911-1998) was born in Wu-xing, Zhejiang. A graduate from Department of Biology, Yenching University, Mr. Jing studied with his uncle Jing Beilou and Yuming, a palace painter of the late Qing court. From them Mr. Jing familarized himself with traditional techniques of flower, bird, and figure painting. Later, his works were appreciated by Mr. Ma Heng, the Director of the National Palace Museum in China; Ma invited Jing to study and emulate ancient paintings from the National Palace Museum collection. This opportunity enabled Mr. Jing to broaden his scope of artistic creation and to shift from elaborate painting techniques to freer brushstrokes.

　After coming to Taiwan, Mr. Jing taught at art departments in National Normal University, Chinese Culture University, and National Taiwan University of Arts. He devoted himself to art education and cultivated numerous artists. Many famous ink painters and bird and flower painters of Taiwan are Mr. Jing’s students. His influence on Taiwanese Art has been deep and profound.

　Mr. Jing bequeathed 247 pieces from his oeuvre to the National Museum of History, including landscapes, figures, birds and flowers. For this exhibition, we have selected 20 pieces of his elaborate painting of flower and bird. Although these works are small in scale, they will show a delicate sense of composition. As a student of biology, Mr.Jing’s perception of objective images showed an acumen of a scientist and endowed traditional Chinese painting with a new sense of precision.