Wu Changshuo was born in Anji, Zhejiang Province, and died in Shanghai. He was a Chinese painter and calligrapher. As a leading figure in the Shanghai School during the early 20 th century, he was largely responsible for rejuvenating the genre of bird-and-flower painting by introducing an expressive, individualistic style more generally associated with literati painting. He began his artistic career with the traditional study of literature and ancient inscriptions before moving to calligraphy.