Selected Calligraphy & Painting Works

Art Form: Paper Scroll | Style: Light Crimson Landscape | Status: Peak of Literati Landscape Painting | Taipei Palace Museum

As the masterpiece of Huang Gongwang (1269-1354), this painting is the pinnacle of Yuan Dynasty literati landscape painting. The work depicts the beautiful scenery of Fuchun Mountain with gentle hemp texture strokes, sparse and elegant composition, and natural ink color changes. It expresses the literati's spiritual pursuit of peace and freedom, with a simple and naive artistic conception that makes people relaxed and happy.

Art Form: Silk Hanging Scroll | Style: Northern School Landscape | Status: Representative of Northern Song Panoramic Landscape

A classic work of the Northern School landscape painting, the painting presents a majestic mountain peak with thick and heavy strokes, and the details of the mountain stone texture are vivid. The small figure of the traveler and the donkey team at the foot of the mountain forms a sharp contrast with the towering mountains, creating a strong sense of visual hierarchy and the grand momentum of nature. It perfectly interprets the artistic charm of Chinese landscape painting "the unity of nature and man".

Art Form: Silk Hanging Scroll | Style: Imperial Academy Meticulous Painting | Status: Representative of Song Dynasty Flower and Bird Painting

Created by Emperor Huizong of Song Zhao Ji (1082-1135), this is a masterpiece of Song Dynasty court meticulous flower and bird painting. The golden pheasant's feathers, cotton rose petals and branches are depicted with exquisite and realistic details. The artist's unique "Slender Gold Calligraphy" inscription is combined with the painting, forming a perfect integration of poetry, calligraphy and painting. It reflects the academic spirit of "studying things to gain knowledge" in the Song Dynasty painting academy.

Art Form: Paper Hanging Scroll | Style: Freehand Brushwork | Status: Representative of Yangzhou Eight Eccentrics

One of the representative works of Zheng Banqiao (1693-1765), the painting takes bamboo and rock as the theme, with concise and powerful strokes. The bamboo is straight and elegant, the rock is firm and steady, and the calligraphy brushwork is integrated into the painting techniques. The work uses bamboo and rock to express the artist's noble integrity and unyielding character, which is the essence of literati flower and bird painting "expressing aspirations through objects".

Art Form: Silk Scroll | Style: Meticulous Figure Painting | Status: Earliest Surviving Figure Painting Scroll

Created by Gu Kaizhi (348-409), the "Saint of Painting", this work is one of the earliest figure painting scrolls in China. The characters are depicted with delicate and smooth "silk thread strokes", and the facial expressions are vivid and delicate. The painting combines historical allusions and moral admonitions, reflecting the artistic pursuit of "capturing the spirit" in Wei and Jin figure painting, and has extremely high historical and artistic value.

Art Form: Silk Scroll | Style: Realistic Figure Painting | Status: Classic Narrative Figure Painting

The painting is divided into five parts: listening to music, watching dancing, resting, playing flute and seeing off guests. Each part depicts the different expressions and movements of Han Xizai and his guests, with rich and delicate details of costumes and scenes. It not only shows the superb realistic skills of figure painting in the Five Dynasties, but also records the life style of the aristocrats in the late Southern Tang Dynasty, which is a rare treasure of narrative figure painting.

Art Form: Paper Scroll | Style: Running Script | Status: The No.1 Running Script in the World

The masterpiece of Wang Xizhi (303-361), the "Sage of Calligraphy", this work is a running script created for a literati gathering. The brushwork is smooth like clouds and flowing water, the character structure is flexible and varied, and the rhythm is harmonious and natural. As a classic of combining calligraphy and literature, it perfectly expresses the joy and emotion of the literati, and is the eternal pinnacle of Chinese calligraphy art.

Art Form: Paper Hanging Scroll | Style: Splashed Ink Freehand | Status: Peak of Ming Dynasty Literati Painting

A representative work of Xu Wei (1521-1593), the painting uses bold splashed ink techniques to depict grapes hanging on the vine, with free and unrestrained brushwork and rich ink color changes. The artist inscribed a poem on the painting, combining poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal into one, expressing his frustrated life experience and unyielding personality. It is the essence of Chinese comprehensive art "four in one".