Gao Yong: A Pioneer of Shanghai Impressionism Gao Yong (1850–1921), a pivotal figure in the burgeoning artistic landscape of late Qing China and the early Republican era, remains an artist whose legacy continues to inspire admiration. Despite limited biographical details readily available—his full name, birthplace, and precise dates of birth and death shrouded in obscurity—Gao Yong’s impact on Chinese art history is undeniable, primarily cemented by his masterful depiction of ‘Willow,’ a breathtaking ink wash painting completed in 1895. Early Life & Training: Born in Shanghai during th…