After the establishment of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), along with the development of politics and economy, Chinese painting experienced three successive periods. In the early Qing, painters who opposed political ideas used the traditional Chinese art form rather than depicting real life to express ideas and concepts about escaping reality.

A native of Jiangsu Province, Wang Yuanqi (1642-1715) was the grandson of the famous painter Wang Shimin. Wang Yuanqi, Wang Shimin, Wang Jian and Wang Hui were regarded as the Four Wangs in the early Qing. Among them, Wang Yuanqi was the youngest, but achieved the highest success. Known as Wang Sinong, Wang once assumed office as Hubu Zuoshilan. In 1705, during the reign of the Emperor Qianlong, Wang, as president of the Shuhuapugua, took part in compiling the first thesaurus in Chinese art history, Peiwenzhai Shuhuapu. The 100-volume book, which took three years to complete, was a precise and comprehensive reference material for calligraphy and painting enthusiasts. Favored by Emperor Kangxi, Wang's fame spread far and wide and produced many followers, which later culminated in the foundation of a unique school.

Wang, who first learned the art from his grandfather and Wang Jian, was later influenced by Huang Gongwang, a famous painter of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). Wang was especially fond of imitating famous paintings from the Five Dynasties to the Yuan Dynasty (907-1368). He liked using dry-brush strokes and applying a light coat of ink, followed by a thick one to create a dye effect. Apart from painting, Wang wrote books about painting theory, such as Yuchuang Manbi and Lutai Tihua Gao. He was also good at poetry, with the representative work, Yanhualouji.

Loudong Painting School was named after Wang's birthplace, Taicang (also called Loudong) in Jiangsu Province. The Loudong Painting School was so famous at the time that it almost dominated the whole painting circle and exerted far-reaching influences on subsequent generations.