Gao Bing is an author whose biographical details remain largely unknown: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name are not clearly recorded, and only one work by him is held in the collection. On the available evidence, Gao Bing is known to readers through his single work, Shuo Hua on Finger Painting (Zhitou Hua Shuo), which is classed among classic works and deals with the distinctive technique of painting with the fingers. Finger painting, or finger-and-nail painting, substitutes fingers, nails, and even the palm for the brush; within the Chinese painting tradition it occupies a singular place, valuing the natural blending of ink tones with the texture of finger marks and demanding considerable skill and control of the wrist. The book discusses the origins, essential methods, and critical assessment of this technique, combining technical record with art-historical discussion. As public information on Gao Bing's other experiences and writings is limited, a full biography cannot yet be drawn; readers' understanding of the man rests mainly on this one transmitted work and the painting scholarship it carries.
