Ren Yi's original name was Run. His zi, a style or name taken at the age of twenty, was Xiaolou at first, which he later changed to Bonian. A native of Shanyin (Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province), Ren was a student of painter Ren Xiong (1820-after 1856). He was very skilled in painting figures, portraits, and flowers and birds. He painted in a refreshing style that broke away from traditional restraint. He lived in Shanghai as a professional painter and was generally acclaimed as the most influential figure in the Shanghai School of Painting