Miao Jiahui, 184 1 was born in a scholarly family in Kunming. Miao Jiahui studied calligraphy and painting since she was a child. Because she is well-trained, studious and talented, she became famous in Yunnan and Sichuan when she was young. His works are fresh in pen and ink, elegant in color and both in form and spirit, especially in flower-and-bird meticulous painting; She also works in small letters, and her handwriting is vigorous and extraordinary. Miao Jiahui married Chen Rui from Kunming at the age of 15, and went to Sichuan as an official with Chen Rui. It's a pity that Chen Rui died when Miao Jiahui was pregnant, leaving Miao Jiahui to go back to Kunming to have children and raise her young son by selling paintings. Later, an uprising broke out in Yunnan. In order to escape the war, Miao Jiahui moved to Sichuan and took refuge in his brother Miao Jiayu, who was an official in Xichong, Sichuan. In Sichuan, Miao Jiahui still sells paintings for a living. It is said that because of her general history, she was hired by Xichong County to take charge of the academy.
Empress Dowager Cixi was keen on learning calligraphy and painting in her later years and was willing to give her calligraphy and painting to ministers. Because there were many people asking for calligraphy and painting, Cixi was overwhelmed, so she thought of finding a female painter to enter the palace to write for her. 1889, under the imperial edicts of various provinces, Cixi sent female painters to the palace, and Miao Jiahui was elected to the palace.
How did Miao Jiahui enter the palace? Generally speaking, Miao Jiahui's paintings were very famous in Sichuan at that time. When Cixi selected the letters of female painters, the governor of Sichuan immediately thought Miao Jiahui was a very suitable candidate and immediately sent someone to send Miao Jiahui to Beijing.
Miao Jiahui was selected at different levels in Beijing and finally received by Empress Dowager Cixi. In front of Cixi, Miao Jiahui first drew a "cloth bag monk", but Cixi was not satisfied. Later, she painted Autumn Rhyme with the theme of the Summer Palace, which was recognized by Cixi.