Born in Jiangdu, Jiagsu, later relocated to Shanghai, Ni Tian was famous for Figure, Horse and Animal paintings. He also excelled in Landscape depiction. In his early period, Ni followed the style of Hua Yan, later changed to the style of Ren Yin, making him a prominent artist of the Shanghai School of Art. His works were kept in the Shanghai Museum and were recorded in academic documentations.