Artist: Huang Tingjian (1045-1105)
Date: Northern Song (960-1127)
Dimensions: Height 31.3 cm, Width 33.3 cm
Material: Ink on paper
Huang Tingjian (1045-1105), a native of Fenning in Hongzhou (nowadays Xiushu, Jiangxi province), is also known by his zi (designated name) Luzhi and his hao (literary name) Shangu Daoren. A jinshi (a successful candidate in the imperial examination) in the fourth year (1067) of the Zhiping era, he later became an official historiographer. He, together with Su Shi, Mi Fu and Cai Xiang, shares the fame of "the Four Master Calligraphers of the Song dynasty". This work was written to his son Huang Xiang. The brushstrokes are firm, strong, and thick, yet exuding a detached and unrestrained style, close to that of his late works.
