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

1542–43

Qiu Ying 仇英

(Chinese, 1494–1552)

China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

handscroll, ink and light color on paper

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.)

John L. Severance Fund 1963.102

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.