Cleveland Museum of Art

Four Poems: Calligraphy in Cursive Script (xingshu)

Chen Jiru

Date

1500s-1600s

Medium

handscroll; ink on gold speckled paper

Culture

China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Written in graceful calligraphy with well-composed characters, the artist communicates his thoughts and state of mind in four poems. Characters written in dark, thick strokes convey rhythm, and indicate the moment after the writer had paused to recharge his brush with ink. Chen Jiru was a native of Huating (modern Shanghai). His calligraphy style resembles that of his friend, influential calligrapher Dong Qichang (1555–1636). Unlike Dong, Chen did not pursue government service: he burned his Confucian robes, declined a summons to serve at court, and immersed himself in literature, calligraphy, and painting.

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