​

Xu Shengpei, "Grandfather Huang Yongyu Draws Genshen Monkey "

Huang Yongyu (1924-2023) painted with ink and became famous for his expressive and bold style. A frequent theme in his works were animals, which he loved dearly. The list of his pets included cats, dogs, monkeys, owls, and hedgehogs. Interestingly, Huang Yongyu did not receive a traditional education, but taught himself drawing while traveling around the country.

"Genshen Monkey," also known as the "Golden Monkey," was China's first postage stamp dedicated to this animal. Despite the popularity of the Chinese zodiac, it only appeared in 1979! Huang Yongyu readily accepted the assignment: at the time, he was grieving the loss of his own pet monkey. At an auction in 2011, one such stamp sold for 10,000 yuan, or 116,000 rubles!

Zhao Xinlin, 10, Qujing, "Qi Baishi's Shrimp Rhythm" (and Fan Ruizhe, 12, Chengdu, "Qi Baishi Draws Shrimp")

Qi Baishi was born into a poor family and could only afford to attend school for a year. However, at home, while helping with the farm work, he continued to draw—sometimes simply on old account books. His main source of inspiration was everyday life. Qi Baishi painted extensively from life, meticulously honing each image, and became famous for his depictions of flora and fauna.

Qi Baishi's depictions of shrimps, created exclusively with black ink, are considered the pinnacle of his mastery. He only used black ink, but managed to turn its shades into an entire palette of colors. The genius of Qi Baishi made shrimps into the central image of the genre. Today, Chinese art historians meticulously analyze every line and brushstroke in his works.

Yang Aiming, "Wang Ximeng Paints 'Rivers and Mountains of a Thousand Li'"

Little is known about the artist Wang Ximeng. He studied at the Academy founded by Emperor Huizong, also a skilled artist and connoisseur of art. In 1113, at the tender age of 18, Wang Ximeng created a grand panorama of mountains and waters: 12 meters long and 0.5 meters wide! Unfortunately, this is his only surviving work. The master died very young.

Today, the painting "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains" is considered one of the greatest works of Chinese art and the pinnacle of green-blue landscape painting. Up to this day, it remains in excellent condition, thanks to the high-quality materials used for its production: imperial silk and durable mineral paints.