This is the caption of image number 1Dong Qichang (1555—1636), Ming dynasty (1368 -1644)
Undated, handscroll, ink on silk damask, 29.3 × 258.7 cm

 

A native of Huating (today's Songjiang, a part of Shanghai), Dong Qichang earned his "presented scholar' (jinshi) degree in the Imperial Examination of 1588, the sixteenth year of the Wanli reign (1573-1620). He served in posts as high as the Minister of Rites (libu shangshu). A prominent collector and connoisseur, he is noted especially for his theories on Chinese painting. Following the Chan Buddhist formulation of gradual and sudden enlightenment, he divided painters into the denigrated gradualist Northern school (mostly court painters and professionals) and the inspired, sudden-enlightenment Southern school (mostly poets and officials who painted). He excelled at calligraphy and once stated that his inspiration was drawn from intuitive and spontaneous understanding. Stressing imitation as well as innovation, his paintings are characterized by faux naïf and delicate handling of ink and brush. Backed by his high political status and authority as a connoisseur, his aesthetic theories profoundly influenced later generations of painters and succeeded in dominating Qing dynasty (1644-1911) artistic circles. His works include Random Notes from the Chan Studio of Paintings (Huachanshi suibi), Poetry Collection of Rongtai (Rongtai ji) and Essence of Painting (Hua zhi).
  The artist signed the calligraphy and affixed his name seal. The scroll is inscribed with ten quatrains including ones by Cai Xiang (1012-1067), Huang Tingjian (1045-1105), Mi Fu (1051-1107), Zhang Xu (658-748), and Zhou Yun. Although Dong Qichang writes that he transcribed the poems in the style of the Four Calligraphy Masters of the Song dynasty (960-1279), mentioning Su Shi (1037-1101), Cai Xiang, Huang Tingjian, and Mi Fu, judging from his calligraphy styles, he did not deliberately imitate any particular one of the four, which demonstrates an innovative feature of his calligraphy. He once said, "With gifted talents, copying should deliver the spirit of the original calligraphers. But it cannot imitate too much or too little." The scroll was finished in Dong Qichang's late years.  (Editor:admin)