Poem
Written in a Boat on the Wu River (detail)
Mi Fu (1052–1107)
Handscroll; ink on paper; 12 5/16 x 220 1/4 in. (31.3
x 559.8 cm)
Gift of John M. Crawford Jr., in honor of Profesor Wen Fong, 1984
Ex coll.: John M. Crawford, Jr. (1984.174)
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The same tools (brush,
ink, silk,
and paper) are used for both writing and
painting. Chinese is traditionally written in columns from top to bottom and right
to left. There are strict rules about the order and execution of individual brushstrokes
to form characters. But like the painter, the calligrapher is allowed the freedom
to express his thoughts and feelings by the choice of calligraphic style he uses
to write his characters, as seen in this handscroll. In
China, calligraphy is considered a higher
or purer form of artistic expression than painting. Both verbal and visual communication
can be achieved with a single Chinese character. By looking at the character for
mountain, which resembles one central peak surrounded by two smaller peaks, one
can see the visual relationship of the characters to their meaning. Similarly,
the flowing nature of water is suggested visually in the character for water.
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