In the waning days of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), China's first formal art schools were founded in an atmosphere of spirited debate about tradition, reform, and what it meant to be an artist in that culture. The painter Chao Shao-an (1905-1998) came of age following this upheaval. A leader in the modernist movement, Chao strove, like his masters, both "to learn from nature [and to] be inspired by [an] inner sensibility." In his mid-twenties he established the Lingnan Art Studio in order to advance this fresh and vital approach. Chao's fluid brushwork, rich colors, and inventive composition are evident in this calendar's reproductions of twelve of his paintings. All are from the collection of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, one of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively to Asian art. All of Pomegranate's calendars are printed with soy-based inks on FSC certified paper, which means the paper has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and manufactured by an FSC certified printer. FSC certification promotes responsible forest management by ensuring that forestry practices are environmentally responsible, socially equitable, and economically viable. FSC license code FSC N001864.