Artists › Painters and Calligraphers
Gu Hengbo
Courtesan born Gu Mei, one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai, poet and painter of orchids
A desk holds an unrolled sheet bearing three bold black ink strokes, with a rack of many brushes above it, a stone ink slab and ink stick, a porcelain bowl, a red lacquer box, a dish of red seal paste and a paperweight; a small seated figure shows through a round window onto bamboo.
Also known as Gu Mei · Lady Hengbo
Gu Hengbo, born Gu Mei, from Shangyuan in Yingtian prefecture, now Nanjing, was born in 1619, a courtesan of the late Ming and early Qing and one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai. She was a poet and painter, known especially for orchids. In 1641 she married Gong Dingzi and later received the title of a first-rank lady. She died at Tieshizi Lane in Beijing in the winter of 1664. Her poems are collected in the Liuhuage ji.
Life and times
Dates 1619 - 1664