Winter Journey in the North
Even Zhu Yunming, one of the most versatile calligraphers of the Ming dynasty, found the shape and structure of the folding fan a challenge. He described writing on it "like asking a dancing girl to demonstrate her technique on a pile of broken bricks and tiles." This fan bears neither signature nor seal, yet the writing is distinctly Zhu's. The characters are densely packed without clearly distinguished columns, adding a pictorial dimension to the writing. Zhu successfully adopted the cursive styles of Huaisu (725–785) and Huang Tingjian (1045–1105) to the folding-fan form.
Artwork Details
- 明 祝允明 北地冬遊詩 扇頁
- Title: Winter Journey in the North
- Artist: Zhu Yunming (Chinese, 1461–1527)
- Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
- Culture: China
- Medium: Folding fan mounted as an album leaf; ink on gold paper
- Dimensions: 7 1/2 x 19 1/2 in. (19.1 x 49.5 cm)
- Classification: Calligraphy
- Credit Line: Bequest of John M. Crawford Jr., 1988
- Object Number: 1989.363.52
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Zhu Yunming
dated 1507
China
16th century
China
China
early 15th century
China
mid-16th century
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