Poem

Art Historical Context

**Poem by Lu Lunji (1925)** This delicate artwork, *Poem*, is a example of Chinese calligraphy inscribed by Lu Lunji in 1925. Originally folding fan, it has been elegantly remounted as an album leaf, measuring 7 x 19⅜ inches (17.8 x 49.2 cm). Crafted with ink on paper it exemplifies the refined tradition of literati art, where scholars and artists expressed poetry through fluid brushwork. Fans like this were prized personal objects, often customized with inscriptions for gifts or admiration during social gatherings. Created during China's Republican era—a time of cultural transition following the fall of the Qing dynasty—Lu Lunji's work bridges classical techniques with modern sensibilities. Calligraphy, considered one of China's highest arts, demands profound control of the brush to convey rhythm, emotion, and philosophical depth. The poem's elegant script invites viewers to ponder its lyrical content while appreciating the ink's varying tones and the paper's subtle texture. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art Department, this piece was a generous gift from Robert Hatfield Ellsworth in memory of La Ferne Hatfield Ellsworth in 1995. It offers a window into early 20th-century Chinese aesthetics, reminding us how everyday objects became canvases for timeless expression.