Zhang Daqian was born in Sichuan in 1899. His formal name was Yuan, known as Daqian. He devoted his early years to traditional Chinese painting, imitating renowned Chinese artists, such as Bada Shanren and Shitao, and developed a style of purity and subtle elegance in his middle age. In his later years he invented the free and vigorous "splash colour" technique. His first one-man exhibition was held in Shanghai in 1925. In 1933/4 he taught at the National Central University of Nanjing. Zhang very much liked to travel, visiting China's famous mountain sites, her great rivers and the Dunhuang Caves in Gansu Province to copy the frescoes. Zhang was adept in poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal engravings, and he won high acclaim in the international art world.