Summer retreat in the eastern grove

Wen Zhengming

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This poem, written in the running-script style of Huang Tingjian (1045–1105), is one of two poems by Wen appended to this painting. Both texts reveal Wen Zhengming's early study of the Northern Song master's large-scale calligraphy. Wen Zhengming devoted his life to the revival and creative reinterpretation of the expressive traditions of Song and Yuan painting and calligraphy. Wen particularly admired the writing style of Huang Tingjian, a passion he acquired from his mentor Shen Zhou (1427–1509). Wen's bold calligraphy stands in marked contrast to the officially sanctioned standard-script style practiced by court bureaucrats and reflects his independent nature. A final colophon by Wen explains the circumstances surrounding the poems' creation. Wen wrote the poems in 1512 for his friend Qian Tongai (1475–1549). The poems were subsequently acquired by Nanzhou, abbot of the Tianwang Temple. When Wen visited Nanzhou in 1515 he saw his poems and appended his colophon.

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