Artist: Zhao Ji (1082-1135)
Date: Northern Song (960-1127), dated 1104
Material: Ink on paper
Zhao Ji (1082-1135), Empeor Huizong of the Song, was also known by his hao (literary name) Xuanhe Zhuren. As a painter and calligrapher, he was skilled in regular and cursive scripts. He integrated styles of Chu Suiliang and Xue Yao in his regular script, establishing a distinctive style he termed "shoujin script". This handscroll is his transcription of One Thousand Character by Zhou Xingsi of the Liang dynasty, awarded to the eunuch Tong Guan. The brushwork is crisp and vigorous, suffused with an air of elegant ease. It was written in the third year (1104) of the Chongning era, when the artist was 23 years old.
