Artwork Page for Zhao Mengfu Writing the Heart (Hridaya) Sutra in Exchange for Tea

Details / Information for Zhao Mengfu Writing the Heart (Hridaya) Sutra in Exchange for Tea

Zhao Mengfu Writing the Heart (Hridaya) Sutra in Exchange for Tea

1542–43
(Chinese, 1494–1552)
Measurements
Image: 20.6 x 78.3 cm (8 1/8 x 30 13/16 in.); Overall: 21.1 x 553.6 cm (8 5/16 x 217 15/16 in.)
Credit Line
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Qiu Ying was born to a peasant family, but his natural talent led him to a successful career as a professional painter with wealthy patrons.

Description

The Yuan dynasty calligrapher Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322) is said to have transcribed the Heart Sutra for a certain priest named Li in exchange for tea. Later, during the Ming dynasty, the professional painter Qiu Ying from Suzhou painted this scene for his patron.

Here, Zhao Mengfu holds a brush and has a piece of paper laid out before him. On the table is an ink stone, an ink stick, and a small water dropper. Drops of water would dissolve the ink stick into liquid ink when it was ground on the flat square stone.
A handscroll features Chinese calligraphy on the left third (see "Inscriptions") and a scene of people with light skin tones among trees on the right two-thirds. Zhao Mengfu, a bearded man holding a brush, sits at a table spread with blank paper, looking back at a child. In the background a person crouches by a table filled with dishes, a fenced garden with two birds at a birdfeeder in the upper left.

Zhao Mengfu Writing the Heart (Hridaya) Sutra in Exchange for Tea

1542–43

Qiu Ying

(Chinese, 1494–1552)
China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

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