The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

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)
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

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.
  • ?–1963
    (Wan-go H. C. Weng 翁萬戈 [1918–2020], Lyme, NH, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1963–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Dubosc, Jean Pierre, and Alberto Giuganino. Mostra D'arte Cinese : Catalogo = Exhibition of Chinese Art: Catalogue. Venezia: Alfieri Editore, 1954. cat. no. 815
    Sirén, Osvald. Chinese Painting: Leading Masters and Principles. New York: Ronald Press, 1956. p. 177
    Lee, Sherman E. "Literati and Professionals: Four Ming Painters." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art Vol. 53, No. 1 (Jan., 1966), p. 2-25. Reproduced: p. 23-25, figs. 16, 17 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 264 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 264 archive.org
    Edwards, Richard. The Art of Wen Cheng-Ming (1470-1559). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1976. Reproduced: cat. no. 39
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 351 archive.org
    Ho, Wai-kam, Sherman E. Lee, Laurence Sickman, and Marc F. Wilson. Eight Dynasties of Chinese Painting: The Collections of the Nelson Gallery-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, in cooperation with Indiana University Press, 1980. Reproduced: pp. 204-206, cat. no. 165
    Lefebvre, Éric, Mael Bellec, and Cédric Laurent. Peindre Hors du Monde: Moines et Lettrés des Dynasties Ming et Qing: Collection Chih Lo Lou = Shi wai dan qing : Zhi le lou cang Ming Qing shi seng shu hua zhan. Paris: Paris Musées, 2021. Mentioned and reproduced: pp. 16–17, fig. 5
  • Power and Possession: Chinese Calligraphy and Inscribed Objects – Chinese Gallery Rotation 240a, 241c. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (August 13, 2018-February 3, 2019).
    Wu School Painting Series: The Art of Qiu Ying. Suzhou Museum, Suzhou, China (organizer) (November 10-December 20, 2015).
    Main Asian Rotation (Gallery 122). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (January 22-April 22, 2002).
    Chinese Paintings: Themes and Techniques. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (February 7-April 5, 1981).
    Eight Dynasties of Chinese Painting. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (November 7, 1980-January 4, 1981); The Cleveland Museum of Art (February 10-March 29, 1981); Tokyo National Museum (October 4-November 17, 1982).
    Edwards, Wen Cheng-ming (calligraphy only). University of Michigan Museum of Art.
    Year in Review (1963). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 27, 1963-January 5, 1964).
    Mostra D'arte Cinese. Palazzo Ducale, Venice, Italy (1954).
  • {{cite web|title=Zhao Mengfu Writing the Heart (Hridaya) Sutra in Exchange for Tea|url=false|author=Qiu Ying|year=1542–43|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1963.102