His courtesy name was
克柔 and
板桥 his art name. He passed the highest exam in 1736 and served as a county magistrate in Shandong, last at
潍县, where he opened the granaries during a famine. After clashing with his superiors he left office in 1753 and lived by selling his paintings in
扬州, one of the
扬州八怪, the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou.