Hu lived in Nanjing during the transition from the Ming dynasty to the Qing dynasty . A Ming loyalist , he was offered a position at the rump court of the Hongguang Emperor , but declined the post , and never held anything more than minor political office . He did , however , design the Hongguang Emperor 's personal seal , and his loyalty to the dynasty was such that he largely retired from society after the emperor 's capture and death in 1645 . He owned and operated an academic publishing house called the Ten Bamboo Studio , in which he practised various multi @-@ colour printing and embossing techniques , and he employed several members of his family in this enterprise . Hu 's work at the Ten Bamboo Studio pioneered new techniques in colour printmaking , leading to delicate gradations of colour which were not previously achievable in this art form .