Chen's father died when the boy was nine, but his uncle ensured his scholarly education. After twice failing the government examinations, he achieved official status in 1645, only to have to flee before the advancing Manchus. He became a Buddhist monk in 1646 but was torn between the conflicting ideals of Confucian government service and Buddhist retirement. His paintings suggest something of those tensions in dealing with ancient subjects and figure styles; indeed, Chen gave a brief but vigorous new life and dignity to the art of figure painting that had been in limbo since the Song dynasty (960–1279). He sought the quality of his figure subjects rather than their absolute likeness. His highly finished paintings combine elegant line with decorative colour, and his figures have attenuated faces and exaggerated, curvilinear drapery.