Wu Chu: Quatrain in Heptameter

Sung dynasty

Hanging scroll / ink on silk

Artwork : 98.6 x 55.3cm

Hanging scroll : 195.0 x 57.3cm

Wu Chu (twelfth century) was a native of K'ai-feng, Honan province. His style name was Chu-fu and his sobriquet was Yun-ho. He was a gifted poet, calligrapher and painter. His calligraphy is said to be the exposition of the style of Mi Fei, his master, but is evaluated to be superior in its nobility and his talent is especially apparent in large characters. This work, which is an inscription of a heptasyllabic quatrain composed by Ts'ai Hsiang, is one of the rare authentic pieces by Wu Chu. It is also valuable as the oldest extant calligraphy in hanging scroll form.