Cheng Tao

Cheng Tao worked fast and loose, painting rabbits in ink the way others doodle on napkins. He’d ink a chrysanthemum in a few strokes, then drop a couple of rabbits underneath like he was late for tea, no fancy layers, just bold, confident lines. His “Two Rabbits under Chrysanthemums” from 1496 feels alive because it is: the rabbits look like they might bolt any second.

Find his work in the Ming-dynasty album leaves at the Palace Museum in Taipei; tap any rabbit and you’ll see what he meant by “less is more.”