Artist: Wang Zhen (1876-1938)
Date: Modern, dated 1923
Dimensions: Height 145.0 cm, Width 41.5 cm
Material: Ink and color on paper
Wang Zhen, also known by his zi (courtesy name), Yiting and his hao (literary name) Bailong Shanren, was a native of Wuxing (present-day Huzhou, Zhejiang) who settled in Shanghai. He was a founding member of the Shanghai Tijin (the literati inscribing on each other's lapel) Society of Epigraphy, Calligraphy, and Painting. As an artist, Wang excelled in both calligraphy and painting. He was closely associated with Wu Changshuo, and his calligraphy and painting were deeply influenced by Wu. This painting features bold, vigorous brushwork and ink, conveying a strong sense of exuberance and rusticity. It was created in the Guihai year (1923), when the artist was forty-eight years old.
