early life and career mi fei, a chinese painter, poet, and calligrapher, was born in 1051 ce in taiyuan during the song dynasty. his early life showed signs of interest in arts and letters, as well as unusual memory skills. as a member of a family with connections to the imperial family, mi fei was allowed the privilege of living in the royal palaces, where he began his career as reviser of books, professor of painting and calligraphy. artistic style and legacy mi fei's style of painting misty landscapes, known as the "mi fu" style, involved the use of large wet dots of ink applied with a fla…