Recognised as the last great artist of the Southern Song Dynasty, Chen Rong wore many hats: politician, poet, and painter extraordinaire. As an artist, he is best known for his breathtaking depictions of dragons, illustrating great creatures emerging from craggy rocks and swirling dark clouds.

The crown jewel of his draconic portfolio is the Nine Dragons handscroll, now holding court at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. Created in 1244, this piece stretches nearly as long as two basketball courts laid end-to-end, clocking in at a whopping 1496.4 by 46.3 centimetres. The image of dragons flying around mountains, fire and whirlpools is said to refer to the dynamic forces of nature of Daoism, with the dragons representing the nine sons of the Dragon king.