China: 'Animals, Flowers and Birds'. Album of eight leaves by Ren Yi (1840 - 1896), ink and colour on paper, 19th century. Ren Yi (1840 - 1896), also known as Ren Bonian, was a Chinese painter born in Zhejiang during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). He moved to Shanghai in 1855 after the death of his father, which exposed him to Western thinking within a more urban environment. He became a member of the Shanghai School, fusing popular and traditional styles. He is sometimes referred to as one of the 'Four Rens'.