Tao Yiqing (1914-1986) was from Shanghai. He graduated from the Jinghua Art School in 1934 and subsequently taught in middle schools and normal universities in Beijing, Kaifeng, Rehe and other places. In the 1930s, he organized various solo exhibitions. He traveled to the Northwest in the 1950s, sketching the route of the Long March. In 1961, he became a professor at the Central Art Academy.

Tao was known for his landscapes, some of which have been included in the collections of the British Museum, the Swedish Museum and the China Art Institute.