Inspiring Midlife Crisis: Wen Zhengming and the Jin and Jiao Mountains

Josh Yiu, Seattle Art Museum

Wen Zhengming's (1470-1559) Poem to the Painting 'Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains', the finest work of Chinese calligraphy in the Seattle Art Museum, was created in 1521, when the artist was 51 years old. The calligraphy is a rendition of a poem composed by the artist to celebrate one of his own paintings which he did in 1495, when he was 25 years old. This painting, in handscroll format and now in the collection of the Shanghai Museum, is mounted together with the same poem, inscribed by Wen in 1545. Spanning half a century, these three works manifest not only Wen's fascination with the Jin and Jiao Mountains on the Yangtze River, but also an important aspect of his 'early period' that has not, until recently, been widely known.whatever the footnote is

Significantly, the Seattle calligraphy contains a supplementary inscription by Wen, explaining the occasion for writing the poem in 1521. In his own words: 'Previously I painted "Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains." Mr. Wu of the Ministry of Personnel [libu] composed long poems and sent them to me; that was in yimao, the ninth year of the Hongzhi reign [1495]. Now it is the year xinsi of the Zhengde reign [1521], already twenty-six years have passed. Li-bu [Mr. Wu] died several years ago, so as I look at my earlier work, I sigh over the time separating me from my elders. My hearing and sight deteriorate daily; I feel desolate. In the evening, on the day before the winter solstice, I write this by lamplight.' At the age of 51, his health was not as grim as his words suggests. Indeed, his eyesight remained sharp well into his seventies. We know this because he was able to master, at that age, exquisitely small characters. There must have been another source of his desolation. This midlife crisis, as it could be called, probably stemmed from his lack of achievement in officialdom that was expected of well educated men, especially those from prominent families. Indeed, the Wen family boasted a long lineage of eminent men in the military, as well as in the civil service. Friends of the Wen family were also members of the learned elite, and held official positions. Since he was eight years old, Wen Zhengming studied the classics with his father's friend Wu Kuan (1435-1504), who ranked first in the metropolitan examination in 1472. In 1495, the year that the 'Sunset of the Jin and Jiao Mountains' was painted, Wen Zhengming was actually on his way to make his first attempt at the metropolitan examination. By 1521, when the calligraphy was executed, he had had failed the metropolitan examination eight times, the agony of which was exacerbated one year later, when he attempted to pass the examination in vain for the ninth and last time. In a society in which ruling-class membership was largely determined on the basis of individual merit, failure to pass the examination denied Wen Zhengming's advancement in the civil service, causing much frustration and agitation. In 1523, Wen finally obtained the rank of consultant (9B) in the Hanlin Academy in Peking at the recommendation of Li Chongsi (zi Shixiu, Wushan, 1462-1528; jinshi 1487) (Goodrich and Fang, p. 1472). However, political intrigues compelled him to return to Suzhou in 1527. Here, he was admired and considered a leader in the arts for the next three decades, generally considered to have been his greatest period.

Wen Zhengming's (1470-1559) Poem to the Painting 'Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains', the finest work of Chinese calligraphy in the Seattle Art Museum, was created in 1521, when the artist was 51 years old. The calligraphy is a rendition of a poem composed by the artist to celebrate one of his own paintings which he did in 1495, when he was 25 years old. This painting, in handscroll format and now in the collection of the Shanghai Museum, is mounted together with the same poem, inscribed by Wen in 1545. Spanning half a century, these three works manifest not only Wen's fascination with the Jin and Jiao Mountains on the Yangtze River, but also an important aspect of his 'early period' that has not, until recently, been widely known.whatever the footnote is

Wen Zhengming's (1470-1559) Poem to the Painting 'Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains', the finest work of Chinese calligraphy in the Seattle Art Museum, was created in 1521, when the artist was 51 years old. The calligraphy is a rendition of a poem composed by the artist to celebrate one of his own paintings which he did in 1495, when he was 25 years old.whatever the footnote is

Wen Zhengming's (1470-1559) Poem to the Painting 'Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains', the finest work of Chinese calligraphy in the Seattle Art Museum, was created in 1521, when the artist was 51 years old. The calligraphy is a rendition of a poem composed by the artist to celebrate one of his own paintings which he did in 1495, when he was 25 years old.whatever the footnote is

["Art of Tiffany" exhibit] Chairs of this style would have been used in the front parlor for visitors.

Inspiring Midlife Crisis: Wen Zhengming and the Jin and Jiao Mountains
Josh Yiu, Seattle Art Museum

Wen Zhengming's (1470-1559) Poem to the Painting 'Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains', the finest work of Chinese calligraphy in the Seattle Art Museum, was created in 1521, when the artist was 51 years old. The calligraphy is a rendition of a poem composed by the artist to celebrate one of his own paintings which he did in 1495, when he was 25 years old. This painting, in handscroll format and now in the collection of the Shanghai Museum, is mounted together with the same poem, inscribed by Wen in 1545. Spanning half a century, these three works manifest not only Wen's fascination with the Jin and Jiao Mountains on the Yangtze River, but also an important aspect of his 'early period' that has not, until recently, been widely known.whatever the footnote is

    Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains
    by Wen zhengming (1470-1559), 1495
    Ink and Colour on Silk
    30.6 x 94.2 cm
    Shanghai Museum

Significantly, the Seattle calligraphy contains a supplementary inscription by Wen, explaining the occasion for writing the poem in 1521. In his own words: 'Previously I painted "Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains." Mr. Wu of the Ministry of Personnel [libu] composed long poems and sent them to me; that was in yimao, the ninth year of the Hongzhi reign [1495]. Now it is the year xinsi of the Zhengde reign [1521], already twenty-six years have passed. Li-bu [Mr. Wu] died several years ago, so as I look at my earlier work, I sigh over the time separating me from my elders. My hearing and sight deteriorate daily; I feel desolate. In the evening, on the day before the winter solstice, I write this by lamplight.' At the age of 51, his health was not as grim as his words suggests. Indeed, his eyesight remained sharp well into his seventies. We know this because he was able to master, at that age, exquisitely small characters. There must have been another source of his desolation. This midlife crisis, as it could be called, probably stemmed from his lack of achievement in officialdom that was expected of well educated men, especially those from prominent families. Indeed, the Wen family boasted a long lineage of eminent men in the military, as well as in the civil service. Friends of the Wen family were also members of the learned elite, and held official positions. Since he was eight years old, Wen Zhengming studied the classics with his father's friend Wu Kuan (1435-1504), who ranked first in the metropolitan examination in 1472. In 1495, the year that the 'Sunset of the Jin and Jiao Mountains' was painted, Wen Zhengming was actually on his way to make his first attempt at the metropolitan examination. By 1521, when the calligraphy was executed, he had had failed the metropolitan examination eight times, the agony of which was exacerbated one year later, when he attempted to pass the examination in vain for the ninth and last time. In a society in which ruling-class membership was largely determined on the basis of individual merit, failure to pass the examination denied Wen Zhengming's advancement in the civil service, causing much frustration and agitation. In 1523, Wen finally obtained the rank of consultant (9B) in the Hanlin Academy in Peking at the recommendation of Li Chongsi (zi Shixiu, Wushan, 1462-1528; jinshi 1487) (Goodrich and Fang, p. 1472). However, political intrigues compelled him to return to Suzhou in 1527. Here, he was admired and considered a leader in the arts for the next three decades, generally considered to have been his greatest period.

    Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains
    by Wen zhengming (1470-1559), 1495
    Ink and Colour on Silk
    30.6 x 94.2 cm
    Shanghai Museum

    Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains
    by Wen zhengming (1470-1559), 1495
    Ink and Colour on Silk
    30.6 x 94.2 cm
    Shanghai Museum

Wen Zhengming's (1470-1559) Poem to the Painting 'Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains', the finest work of Chinese calligraphy in the Seattle Art Museum, was created in 1521, when the artist was 51 years old. The calligraphy is a rendition of a poem composed by the artist to celebrate one of his own paintings which he did in 1495, when he was 25 years old. This painting, in handscroll format and now in the collection of the Shanghai Museum, is mounted together with the same poem, inscribed by Wen in 1545. Spanning half a century, these three works manifest not only Wen's fascination with the Jin and Jiao Mountains on the Yangtze River, but also an important aspect of his 'early period' that has not, until recently, been widely known.whatever the footnote is

    Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains
    by Wen zhengming (1470-1559), 1495
    Ink and Colour on Silk
    30.6 x 94.2 cm
    Shanghai Museum

Wen Zhengming's (1470-1559) Poem to the Painting 'Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains', the finest work of Chinese calligraphy in the Seattle Art Museum, was created in 1521, when the artist was 51 years old. The calligraphy is a rendition of a poem composed by the artist to celebrate one of his own paintings which he did in 1495, when he was 25 years old.whatever the footnote is

    Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains
    by Wen zhengming (1470-1559), 1495
    Ink and Colour on Silk
    30.6 x 94.2 cm
    Shanghai Museum

Wen Zhengming's (1470-1559) Poem to the Painting 'Sunset on the Jin and Jiao Mountains', the finest work of Chinese calligraphy in the Seattle Art Museum, was created in 1521, when the artist was 51 years old. The calligraphy is a rendition of a poem composed by the artist to celebrate one of his own paintings which he did in 1495, when he was 25 years old.whatever the footnote is

Upholstered armchair with green velvet with inlaid wood with brass. أتمنى لك نهارا سعيدا This armchair and its mate (64.202.2) were once part of a suite that included a large sofa and two smaller ladies' armchairs (Detroit Institute of Arts and The Cleveland Museum of Art). They are attributed to Louis Comfort Tiffany because of similarities shared with furniture Tiffany designed for Louisine and H. O. Havemeyer’s Fifth Avenue house in New York in 1891–92. In addition, its distinctive indigo-inspired "micro-mosaic" marquetry was discussed in a catalogue description of a "settle" displayed by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company at the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893: ". . . our wood mosaic . . . is produced by an entire new method of work. The patterns upon this piece of furniture are made of thousands of squares of natural wood, one sixteenth-of-an-inch in size, of different colors, and each individual square surrounded by a minute line of metal." This type of marquetry had been known in America prior to this, however. Harriet Prescott Spofford remarked in "Art Decoration Applied to Furniture" (1878): "No marquetry exceeds for curiosity that which is occasionally brought now from India, known as the mosaic of Bombay, and made of microscopic cubes of wood that produce a fine effect." The brass-claw and glass-ball feet are distinctive elements also used on some of the Havemeyer furniture, but they were not exclusive to Tiffany. These sophisticated chairs blend an eighteenth-century French form, known as a "bergère," with tapered reeded legs derived from early nineteenth-century designs by Thomas Sheraton. The dense floral carving on the crest is typical of late nineteenth-century "aesthetic" decoration, in which nature is transformed into a stylized surface pattern. 

Not bound

This is a demo.