Poem by Wang Wei in the Style of Mi Fu
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.明 董其昌 倣米芾書王維詩 卷 絹本
This work shows Dong Qichang at his freest, filling a long handscroll with exuberantly brushed oversized characters. The poem is by Wang Wei (699–759), but the calligraphy itself is inspired by Mi Fu (1051–1107), whom Dong greatly admired. It is not a careful copy of Mi Fu’s style, but an attempt to capture its spirit. The asymmetrical balance of some characters, the extensive use of the split-brush effect known as “flying white” (feibai), and the large scale of the characters are all homages to Mi Fu that bring Dong to the edge of his comfort zone, as he pushes himself to be less controlled and careful.
The Metropolitan Museum has one of the only surviving works of large-scale calligraphy by Mi Fu.
This work shows Dong Qichang at his freest, filling a long handscroll with exuberantly brushed oversized characters. The poem is by Wang Wei (699–759), but the calligraphy itself is inspired by Mi Fu (1051–1107), whom Dong greatly admired. It is not a careful copy of Mi Fu’s style, but an attempt to capture its spirit. The asymmetrical balance of some characters, the extensive use of the split-brush effect known as “flying white” (feibai), and the large scale of the characters are all homages to Mi Fu that bring Dong to the edge of his comfort zone, as he pushes himself to be less controlled and careful.
The Metropolitan Museum has one of the only surviving works of large-scale calligraphy by Mi Fu.
Artwork Details
- 明 董其昌 倣米芾書王維詩 卷 絹本
- Title: Poem by Wang Wei in the Style of Mi Fu
- Artist: Dong Qichang (Chinese, 1555–1636)
- Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
- Date: probably ca. 1611
- Culture: China
- Medium: Handscroll; ink on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 10 1/2 in. × 12 ft. 6 in. (26.7 × 381 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Lent by Guanyuan Shanzhuang Collection
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art