China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) / 1256
Poem by Wang Wei in the Cursive Script Style
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Poem by Wang Wei in the Cursive Script Style as calligraphy (China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) · 1256).
Emperor Lizong had little interest in governmental affairs, but he was perhaps the finest calligrapher among the Song emperors.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this calligraphy as Album leaf; ink on silk and credits Song Lizong (Chinese, 1205–1264).
The museum's collection notes: Poem and painting, once mounted together as one fan, exemplify the collaboration between imperial patron and court painter. Emperor Lizong’s calligraphy cites a verse from Wang Wei’s (701–761) poem, Walking to where the water ends, I sit and watch when clouds arise . Ma Lin’s response is this painting. At the water’s edge, a scholar reclines by a large rock. The view leads across the empty middle ground to a distant mountain. With sparse ink and subtly graded washes, Ma Lin visualizes the poetic verse. The painting suggests the impact of Chan aesthetics through interaction between the palace, literati-officials, and monasteries around Hangzho
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The Cleveland Museum of ArtPoem by Wang Wei in the Cursive Script StyleOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.