Four anecdotes from the life of Wang Xizhi

Zhao Mengfu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The emperor Yuan Renzong (r. 1312–20) is said to have remarked that no one could compare with Zhao Mengfu, who possessed seven outstanding qualities: Song royal ancestry, elegant appearance, wide learning, pure character and righteous conduct, literary accomplishment, skill in calligraphy and painting, and profound knowledge of Buddhist and Daoist teachings. As a leading calligrapher, Zhao advocated a return to ancient models, successfully integrating styles of the Jin (265–420) and Tang (618-907) dynasties to create a new synthesis in both regular and cursive scripts. During the fourteenth century, the typefaces of printed books were modeled after his regular script, while his cursive script, seen here, formed the basis for many later writers' informal writing styles. Four Anecdotes from the Life of Wang Xizhi testifies to Zhao's devotion to the "Sage of Calligraphy," Wang Xizhi (303–361). Strongly influenced by Wang's style, this scroll dates to about 1310.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art