明 文徵明 小楷書文賦 卷|Lu Ji’s Essay on Literature
dated 1544 and 1547
Medium
Handscroll; ink on paper
Dimensions
Image: 9 1/16 x 46 3/8 in. (23 x 117.8 cm) Overall with mounting: 9 5/16 x 288 1/16 in. (23.7 x 731.7 cm)
Classification
Calligraphy
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of John M. Crawford Jr., 1988
Accession Number
1989.363.63
Art Historical Context
Wen Zhengming's *Lu Ji’s Essay on Literature (1544–1547) is a masterful example of Ming dynasty calligraphy, rendered in meticulous small regular script (xia) on a delicate handscroll of ink on paper. As one of the "Four Masters of the Wu School," Wen (1470–1559) was renowned for his refined literati style, blending scholarly elegance with technical precision. This work transcribes the third-century *Wen Fu* by Lu Ji, a foundational essay on literary composition that has guided Chinese poets and writers for centuries, emphasizing, innovation, and emotional depth in art. The handscroll format—...
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...