Landscapes and poems

Dong Qichang

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Miffed that his tutor ranked him below his cousin because of inferior calligraphy, Dong Qichang at the age of sixteen dedicated himself to a study of the great calligraphers of the past. By the end of the century, he had become the most influential calligrapher of his age. Although Dong championed the aesthetic of monochromatic ink styles, he indulged in decorative effects in this album, using gold flecked paper with occasional mineral colors for the paintings and choosing a satin ground for his sleek cursive script. Each of the eight leaves, except number seven, is an homage to a past master paired with excerpts from Tang-dynasty landscape poetry. Despite the broad range of styles Dong imitated, the landscapes are remarkably similar to one another and reflect Dong's own intellectual approach to painting most of all.

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