Written/Compiled and Reported by Chen Guanxin, MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network
The Palace Museum is presenting two painting and calligraphy exhibitions from now until March 25 at its main hall: “Infinite Worlds in Brushstrokes — Special Exhibition of Zhu Yunming’s Calligraphy” and “The Beauty of Court Floral Paintings — New Year Painting by Zhao Chang of the Song Dynasty.” The “Infinite Worlds in Brushstrokes — Special Exhibition of Zhu Yunming’s Calligraphy” showcases carefully selected calligraphic works in regular, running, and cursive scripts from different periods of the Ming dynasty literati Zhu Yunming, highlighting his diverse styles and innovative approach to calligraphy. Meanwhile, “The Beauty of Court Floral Paintings — New Year Painting by Zhao Chang of the Song Dynasty” reveals the highly decorative “court floral painting” style, presenting a magnificent aesthetic through the detailed brushwork and vibrant colors of the “New Year Painting.”
Zhu Yunming’s calligraphy not only drew from a wide range of sources but also established a unique style, particularly renowned for his small regular script and cursive script. (Image provided by the Palace Museum)
Zhu Yunming had profound attainments in calligraphy and excelled in various styles. He is grouped with Wen Zhengming and Wang Chong as one of the “Three Great Calligraphers of Wu,” and alongside Wen Zhengming, Tang Yin, and Xu Zhenqing, he is also known as one of the “Four Talented Scholars of Wu,” or more widely recognized as the “Four Great Talents of Jiangnan.” Zhu Yunming primarily drew inspiration from the Jin and Tang dynasties. Among his surviving works, multiple styles coexist, with clear influences from Zhong Yao, Wang Xizhi, Yu Shinan, Ouyang Xun, Chu Suiliang, Zhang Xu, Yan Zhenqing, Huai Su, Liu Gongquan, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, and Zhao Mengfu, demonstrating his broad range of sources. Beyond emulating various styles, Zhu Yunming ultimately developed a distinctive style through synthesis, most notably seen in his small regular script and cursive script, and he also initiated a new trend in the Suzhou calligraphy scene.
Judging from its brushwork and style, the “New Year Painting” is closer to the works of Ming dynasty court painters. Although not an original by the Song dynasty painter Zhao Chang, it is highly decorative. The composition compresses depth and adopts a layered, upward-stacking approach, filling the entire picture plane with slopes, rocks, and densely interwoven flowers and trees, transforming natural ecology into patterned visual interest. This aligns with the records of “court floral paintings” in Guo Ruoxu’s “Records of Famous Paintings of Past Dynasties” from the Northern Song dynasty, making it a representative work of the “court floral painting” style.
The “New Year Painting” combines delicate brushwork with occasional bold, free strokes. (Image provided by the Palace Museum)
Works in the “court floral painting” style, created to adorn magnificent palace halls, require not only patterned compositions but also meticulous brushwork and rich colors. The “New Year Painting” is executed using the double-outline and color-filling technique — outlining first and then filling in colors. Though the brushwork is precise, it also carries a sense of bold freedom, with natural and fluid strokes. Coupled with bright hues such as rouge, cinnabar, white powder, mineral green, and mineral blue, the opulent and splendid imagery becomes even more striking.
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