Poem in running-cursive script

Maker(s)
Artist: Fa Ruozhen (1613-1696)
Historical period(s)
Qing dynasty, mid- to late 17th century
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink on satin
Dimensions
H x W: 264 x 59.5 cm (103 15/16 x 23 7/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1983.11
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Calligraphy
Type

Hanging scroll

Keywords
China, poems, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), semi-cursive script
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

Famous as a poet, painter, and calligrapher, Fa Ruozhen pursued a career in government and eventually attained the rank of lieutenant governor for Anhui Province. He was removed from office in 1670 for complicity in a financial scandal involving the great Nanjing art collector Zhou Lianggong (1612-1672) and spent his remaining years in retirement. Known for his scholarly calligraphy, Fa Ruozhen followed the styles established by masters of the Wei and Jin dynasties (3rd-5th century C.E.), and his technique in writing large characters, as seen here, was particularly admired. In the first two lines of this dense poem, he describes building a rural retreat called the Little Pearl Tower: 

One can excavate the hillside in back of Golden Peak,
And build a Little Pearl Tower beside the Orchid Creek . . .

Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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