Dong Qichang (1555-1637), Landscape, hanging scroll

Ink on paper, 90*43 cm

Dong Qichang (1555-1637), also known by his zi (courtesy name) Xuanzai and his hao (literary names) Sibai, Siweng, and Xiangguang Jushi, was a native of Huating (present-day Shanghai). He rose to the rank of Minister of Rites. A master of poetry and prose, he developed a unique calligraphic style and is recognized as one of the “Four Great Calligraphers in the Late Ming Dynasty.”His landscape paintings are noted for their clarity, freshness, and vitality, and he is credited with founding the Songjiang School. The lineage of this tradition was later transmitted by the Four Wangs of the early Qing period. His representative works include his painting Clouds and Mountains with a Secluded Retreat(Yunshan xiaoyin tu), and treatise Essays in the Meditation Studio(Huachanshi suibi).