Couplet on pond scenery
The individual brush mannerisms of this couplet, though stylistically related to the calligraphy of Emperor Gaozong (1107–1187), to whom it has traditionally been attributed, compare most closely with those found in Eulogy on Calligraphy by Gaozong's son, Xiaozong. This attribution is supported by the fan's three-character dedication to [Zhao] Zhizhong, a eunuch in Xiaozong's service. The imperial seal impressed over the dedication that reads "Treasure of imperial writing," as well as the unequal spacing between characters in the right-hand line, a feature that reveals a degree of spontaneity in execution unlikely from a scribe, further corroborate the conclusion that this piece is from the emperor's own hand.
The couplet describes the stillness of a pond at evening:
Above the pond, a thin mist envelops the
emerald green;
At water's edge, the late sun plays with
dragonflies.
The couplet describes the stillness of a pond at evening:
Above the pond, a thin mist envelops the
emerald green;
At water's edge, the late sun plays with
dragonflies.
Artwork Details
- 南宋 孝宗 行楷書池上水邊聯句 團扇
- Title: Couplet on pond scenery
- Artist: Attributed to Emperor Xiaozong (Chinese, 1127–1194; r. 1163–89)
- Period: Song dynasty (960–1279)
- Date: ca. 12th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Fan mounted as an album leaf; ink on silk
- Dimensions: 9 x 9 5/8 in. (22.9 x 24.4 cm)
- Classification: Calligraphy
- Credit Line: Bequest of John M. Crawford Jr., 1988
- Object Number: 1989.363.9
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Emperor Gaozong
after 1162
Huang Tingjian
ca. 1095
Guo Xi
ca. 1080
Emperor Huizong
early 12th century
Unidentified artist
mid-12th century
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