Artist: Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322)
Date: Yuan (1271-1368), dated 1297
Dimensions: Height 25.9 cm, Width 139.4 cm
Material: Ink on paper
Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322) is also known by his zi (designated name) Zi'ang and hao (literary name) Songxue Daoren. A native to Wuxing (nowadays Huzhou, Zhejiang province), he was a Hanlin scholar (the emperor's literary retinue). Adept in calligraphy, he was skilled in all scripts and led a profoundly influential trend in the art of calligraphy. This scroll, transcribing Tao Yuanming's poem on returning home from the Eastern Jin dynasty, showcasing a smooth and round brushwork that is refined and elegant. Zhao Mengfu wrote this work in the first year (1297) of the Dade era at the age of 44.