BiographyLi Shan 李鱓, was raised in a literati-gentry family and instructed in painting and poetry from a young age. In 1711, he passed the juren degree. In 1713, he presented the Kangxi emperor with a birthday poem which won him a position at court, where he studied painting with Jiang Tingxi. During this period, he may also have studied with Gao Qipei. In 1736, he gained an official appointment and held office for four years. In 1745, he moved permanently to Yangzhou and lived as a professional painter. He led a playboy lifestyle and was friends with most of the leading cultural figures of 18th century Yangzhou.