Poem for Hanwen

Shen Zhou

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Shen Zhou modeled his writing after the running-regular script of Huang Tingjian (1045–1105); four major works by the Song master were in Shen's personal collection.Despite the small size of the writing on this fan, the characters show the tight interior organization, tall structure, and elongated diagonals and horizontals that are the hallmark of Huang Tingjian's style. In Shen's interpretation, the bony aspect of Huang's brushwork is stressed: the brushwork is simplified and, for the most part, lacks the small movements and stroke details that make the earlier master's writing so rich.

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