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Poem on the Shuzi Spring stone carving in running script

Zhao MengfuNot dated

Hong Kong Museum of Art

Hong Kong Museum of Art
Hong Kong , Hong Kong

The original text "Poem on the Shuzi Spring Stone Carving", written by Ouyang Xiu (1007 - 1072), a celebrated Northern Song writer, describes the Shuzi Spring in Mount Langye in Xuzhou, Anhui province. Believed to be from Zhao's mature period, this piece of calligraphy shows borrowings from various masters including Zhao Jie (1082 - 1135), Huang Tingjian (1045 - 1105), Zhong You (151 - 230), the "Two Wangs" and Monk Zhiyong (act. early 6th century). At once rounded in strokes and swift in tempo, broad and slender, the merits of various schools and masters that had come under the influence of the "Two Wangs" have been perfectly blended into an organic whole through his unfettered and fluid execution. It therefore comes as no surprise that this piece had been praised by Wang Wenzhi (1730 - 1802), a preeminent calligrapher of the Qing, to be a masterpiece by Zhao, who had achieved robustness and elegance through familiarising himself with the tradition of "Two Wangs".

Details

  • Title: Poem on the Shuzi Spring stone carving in running script
  • Creator Lifespan: 1254 - 1322
  • Creator Nationality: Chinese
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: Wuxing, Jiangsu province, China
  • Creator Birth Place: Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China
  • Date Created: Not dated
  • Theme: Calligraphy in running script
  • School: Model-calligraphy School
  • Physical Dimensions: w10.6 x h19.5 cm
  • Lecturer-in-waiting of the Hanlin Academy: Zhao Mengfu
  • History of Donation: The Xubaizhai Gallery of Chinese Art was established in 1992, specifically for exhibiting the collection that donated to the Hong Kong Museum of Art by the famous connoisseur and collector of Chinese calligraphy and paintings, Mr Low Chuck Tiew (Liu Zuochou) in 1989.
  • Artist's Biography: Zhao Mengfu, a native of Zhejiang province, was a descendant of the imperial line of the Song dynasty. He excelled in poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal carving. His calligraphy, at once rounded in strokes and swift in tempo, broad and slender, was considered to emulate the Jin masters in resonance. He was so accomplished that he has become a new model for later generations.
  • Type: Ink on paper

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