Eight Songs of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers
16th or 17th century
Medium
Album of eight painting leaves with facing sheets inscribed with poems, preceded by a four-sheet title piece; ink on paper
Dimensions
8 1/4 x 7 3/4 in. (21.0 x 19.7 cm) (8 paintings with facing leaves of calligraphy) 8 1/4 x 16 7/8 in. (21.0 x 42.9 cm) (frontispiece of 2 double leaves)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Morse, 1972
Accession Number
1972.278.9a–t
Tags
About the Artist
Wen Zhengming · 1470–1559
Wen Zhengming (1470–1559), born in Suzhou to a modestly successful scholar-official family, embodied the ideal of the Ming dynasty literati artist. His father, Wen Lin, introduced him early to a leading Suzhou calligrapher, fostering his foundational skills in that art. A late bloomer, Wen studied under the master Shen Zhou, whose guidance shaped his profound reverence for Song and Yuan dynasty ar...