signed XUGU，inscribed，and with two seals of the artist ink on paper Xu Gu(1824–1896) was a Chinese painter and poet during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912).Xu was born in She County in the Anhui province, and later lived in Guangling in the Jiangsu province.His style name was “Xugu” and his sobriquet was “Ziyang Shanren”. Xu was an army official, and then later a monk. When painting he used the side of the brush in a fluent and bold style. In poetry he produced the work Poetry of Xugu monk.