Couplet on pond scenery
Attributed to Emperor Xiaozong Chinese
Not on view
The individual brush mannerisms of this couplet, though stylistically related to the calligraphy of Emperor Gaozong (1107–1187), to whom it has traditionally been attributed, compare most closely with those found in Eulogy on Calligraphy by Gaozong's son, Xiaozong. This attribution is supported by the fan's three-character dedication to [Zhao] Zhizhong, a eunuch in Xiaozong's service. The imperial seal impressed over the dedication that reads "Treasure of imperial writing," as well as the unequal spacing between characters in the right-hand line, a feature that reveals a degree of spontaneity in execution unlikely from a scribe, further corroborate the conclusion that this piece is from the emperor's own hand.
The couplet describes the stillness of a pond at evening:
Above the pond, a thin mist envelops the
emerald green;
At water's edge, the late sun plays with
dragonflies.
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