Chinese art history produced several monk-artists of prominence like Hongyi, for example, the "Four Monk-painters of early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)", which refers to a list that includes Shitao, born Zhu Ruoji, and Bada Shanren, born Zhu Da, whose works are also on show. The two painters both hailed from the imperial line of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and its collapse changed the paths of their lives, deeply influencing their art.

Both highly individualized in their work, Shitao gave a full expression of his cynical views of life and art through vivid, rich details of nature, while Bada Shanren deployed an eccentric style of minimalism.