The Qing Dynasty was the last feudal dynasty in China. Due to the emphasis on traditional Han culture by the Manchu rulers who came to power in the central plains, along with the growth of urban culture and aesthetic consciousness after the recovery of economy, combined with the gradual introduction of Western culture, art forms such as painting and calligraphy exhibited a unique era style. In the Qing Dynasty, the trend continued from the Yuan and Ming periods, with literati painting increasingly dominating the art scene. Landscape painting and ink wash paintings became prevalent, with numerous schools and diverse styles.

In the early Qing Dynasty, the ‘Four Wangs’ painting style, supported by the royal family, inherited Dong Qichang's literati painting tradition and vigorously promoted the blending of ancient and modern styles. They became the orthodox school of painting and influenced the entire Qing era. In flower and bird painting, there was the distinctive ‘boneless’ style influenced by Xu Chongsi, known for its refreshing and elegant style.

In the Jiangnan region, a group of loyalists and painter to the fallen Ming dynasty emerged, including the ‘Four Monks’ and the ‘Jinling Eight Eccentrics’ led by Gong Xian. They were not bound by conventions and their works were filled with genuine emotions, exhibiting novel and unique styles in a strong form of self-expression.

In the mid-Qing period, in the relatively prosperous commercial economy of Yangzhou, a group of painters known as the ‘Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou’ emerged. They boldly innovated while inheriting Xu Wei and Chen Chun's freehand flower and bird paintings, establishing themselves with a distinctive and unconventional style.

At the same time, court painting, supported by the royal family, flourished. A Sino-Western style, established by foreign missionary painters like Giuseppe Castiglione, also emerged. In the late Qing Dynasty, to meet the needs of the emerging urban middle class, painting underwent new changes in terms of subject, content, style, and technique, giving rise to new schools such as the ‘Hai School’ and the ‘Lingnan School’.