Little is known about Tao Hong who settled in Nanking in the latter part of his life. His son was a friend of the
leading Nanjing school artist Gong Xian (on display nearby). When the Ming dynasty collapsed in 1644, Tao joined the loyalist resistance in Yunnan province. By 1645 the Manchu invaders had defeated the Yunnanese forces, prompting Tao to flee to Burma, where he died shortly thereafter. Only five of Tao Hong’s works are known to exist, of which this painting is the largest.