Flower-and-bird Painting was separated from decorative art to form an independent genre around the 9th century. The genre flourished under Emperor Huizong (1082 - 1135), who was an artist himself and excelled at both calligraphy and traditional painting, especially paintings of exquisite flowers and birds. The artists from Song dynasty paint the subject matter included a rich variety of flowers, fruits, insects and fish. Those painting are usually exquisite and gentle, using plants and little animal to reflect artists’ own idea and character.