博
Artist: Painting by Chen Jiru (1558-1639), calligraphy by Dong Qichang (1555-1636)
Date: Ming (1368-1644)
Dimensions: Height 29.5 cm, Width 397.4 cm (painting); Height 24.8 cm, Width 183.6 cm (calligraphy)
Material: Ink on paper
Chen Jiru (1558-1639), also known by his zi (designated names) Zhongchun and Meigong, was native to Huating (in present-day Songjiang, Shanghai). He lived in seclusion among the Nine Peaks and was known as the "Prime Minister in the Mountains". Dong Qichang (1555-1636), also known by his zi (designated name) Xuanzai and his hao (literary name) Sibai, was a native of Huating. He rose to the Minister of Rites in Nanjing and proposed the influential "Northern and Southern Schools" theory of painting. Chen's composition immitates Zhao Mengfu's Village in the Rain but employs the "Mi-family misty mountains" technique, exhibiting a misty, ethereal atmosphere with moist and expressive brushwork. Dong's calligraphy transcribes Yan Zhenqing's On Deeds of Magu, yet his style draws primarily from the Two Wangs (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi) and Mi Fu's script. This calligraphy was written in Dong's middle age. Later connoisseurs, deeply admiring the friendship between Dong and Chen, combined these two works into one scroll.
