Chen Daofu's self-written poetry: Essence of Chinese Calligraphy

Author: Lin Tao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Chen Daofu (1483–1544) was a Ming Dynasty painter. His original name was Chun, and he was known by the character Daofu, later adopting the style name Fufu and the sobriquet Baiyang Shanren. He was from Changzhou (now Wuxian County, Jiangsu). He studied painting and calligraphy under Wen Zhengming but later broke free from conventional methods. He excelled in running and cursive scripts. His landscape paintings, inspired by Mi Youren, featured unrestrained brushwork. He was renowned for his freehand floral paintings in light ink and pale colors, with a style that was sparse and elegant. Later generations compared him to Xu Wei as "Qingteng Baiyang," representing the innovative style of mid-Ming Dynasty ink wash freehand floral paintings. His son, Chen Kuo, styled Zizheng and known as Tajiang, inherited his father's artistic style in floral painting.
The scroll "Baiyang Shan Shi" (Poetry of Baiyang Mountain), written in running and cursive script, is on paper. It measures 29.6 cm in height and 393.9.5 cm in width. This is a reorganization of Daofu's old draft, written in the year Jiachen. That year was the 23rd year of the Jiajing era, which was also the year of his death at the age of 63. In the past, many dictionaries and art histories claimed that Chen Daofu died in the 18th year of the Jiajing era of Emperor Shizong, at the age of 58. If that were true, the "Baiyang Shan Shi" scroll could not possibly be an authentic work by Chen Daofu.
The running script work we see today exudes a sense of depth and strength, with thick yet fluid lines that create a balance between void and form, combining both angular and round strokes—typical of Chen Chun's style. The scroll begins with a steady and harmonious yet graceful touch, using relatively heavy ink. After the sixth and seventh poems, the speed seems to quicken, with fluid and effortless brushwork to the left and right.