Artist: Qian Bo (dates of birth and death unknown)
Date: Ming (1368-1644)
Dimensions: Height 26.0 cm, Width 63.0 cm; Height 26.0 cm, Width 57.0 cm
Material: Ink on paper
Qian Bo, also known by his zi (designated name) Yuanbo, was a native of Huating (in present-day Songjiang, Shanghai). He became a jinshi (a successful candidate of imperial examination) in the tenth year (1445) of the Zhengtong era and rose to the Sichuan Provincial Surveillance Commissioner. A master of literature and calligraphy, his regular and cursive scripts followed Song Ke's early Ming style. Along with his elder brother Qian Pu, they were celebrated as the "Two Qians", and together with the "Two Shens" (Shen Du and Shen Can), they shaped the Yunjian calligraphic style of the early Ming period. This leaf bears his transcription of a famous Tang dynasty poem by Lu Lun. The brushwork demonstrates consummate skill and unrestrained vigor, while the composition maintains balanced spacing, occasionally infused with the early cursive script style.