Paper
Name Class Date

Chen Hongshou, CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Chen Hongshou wahooart.com/en/artists/chen-hongshou/
Artist’s dates
1598 – 1652
Original size
135 x 60 cm

In context

CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT — Chen Hongshou

How big is it?

The original measures 135 × 60 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1590
  2. 1600
  3. 1610
  4. 1620
  5. 1630
  6. 1640
  7. 1650

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 54 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Chen Hongshou (1598–1652) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1620 Main working years: 1620–1633 Late works: from 1633

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: wahooart.com/en/art/similar/chen-hongshou-calligraphy-in-cursive-script-AQR3L4-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Putty #e9e0c4

    Catalogued palette

    • #E9E0C4
    • #676459
    • #97917F
    • #C5BCA4

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Neutrals The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Putty
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Serene How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Unified Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Brilliant How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Subtle Color How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Chen Hongshou over the last twelve months — 5 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 60.0%
    2. 2 Singapore 13.3%
    3. 3 United States of America 13.3%
    4. 4 United Kingdom 6.7%
    5. 5 Hong Kong 6.7%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 12 most looked-at works by Chen Hongshou

    1. 1 Untitled (D2X2AS), 1620 20.0%
    2. 2 Plum-blossom study, 1640 13.3%
    3. 3 Tasting tea 13.3%
    4. 4 Figures, flowers, and landscapes, 1627 6.7%
    5. 5 Landscapes, Figures, and Flowers, 1618 6.7%
    6. 6 Scholar-recluse in blue-green landscape, 1633 6.7%
    7. 7 SEVEN SAGES OF THE BAMBOO GROVE 6.7%
    8. 8 明 清 陳洪綬 準提佛母法像圖 軸 Bodhisattva Guanyin in the Form of the Buddha Mother, 1620 6.7%
    9. 9 ORIOLE AND DAISIES 6.7%
    10. 10 FIGURES 6.7%
    11. 11 SEEKING INSPIRATION 6.7%
    12. — CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT this painting 0.0%

    Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 24 works by this artist, of which 11 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Chen Hongshou

    early life and artistic development

    chen hongshou, a prominent chinese painter, was born in 1598 in zhuji, zhejiang province, during the late ming dynasty. his courtesy name was zhanghou (章侯), with pseudonyms including laolian (老莲), fuchi (弗迆), yunmenseng (云门僧), huichi (悔迆), chiheshang (迆和尚) and huiseng (悔僧). under the tutelage of lan ying, chen honed his skills in painting peculiar human figures, landscapes, flower-and-bird art, utilizing plump, profound brushwork and precise color.

    artistic style and notable works

    chen's unique style set him apart from his contemporaries. his masterpieces, "shui hu ye zi" (水浒叶子) and "bo gu ye zi", are rare examples of the ming and qing dynasties' artistic excellence. these works showcase his skill in capturing the essence of traditional chinese art.

    museum collections and worldwide recognition

    chen's works are preserved in museums globally, including:

    appreciating plums, guangdong provincial museum

    man holding ganoderma lucidum

    an elegant gathering, shanghai museum

    drinking wine in the garden, shanghai museum

    landscape of pine valley, shanghai museum

    tao yuanming, honolulu museum of art

    chen's legacy extends beyond his art; he was also skilled in calligraphy, poetry, and prose.

    explore chen hongshou's world at AllPaintingsStore.com

    dive into the enigmatic world of chen hongshou through [https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/chen-hongshou](https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/chen-hongshou), where you can discover more about his life, art, and the era he lived in. AllPaintingsStore.com offers a vast collection of art reproductions, including chen's works, allowing you to bring a piece of history into your home.

    visit /en/art/show/art-d3cl2x-en/ for a journey through art history with AllPaintingsStore's extensive collection.

    explore the [medieval art (12th-15th /en/art/show/medieval/ section for more insights into the evolution of art.

    immerse yourself in the captivating world of chen hongshou and the rich heritage of chinese art.

    Where to read more

    • The artist Chen Hongshou wahooart.com/en/artists/chen-hongshou/
    • Similar works More works to compare wahooart.com/en/art/similar/chen-hongshou-calligraphy-in-cursive-script-AQR3L4-en/

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT

    wahooart.com/en/art/download/chen-hongshou-calligraphy-in-cursive-script-AQR3L4-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Hongshou, Chen. CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT. n.d., https://wahooart.com/en/art/chen-hongshou-calligraphy-in-cursive-script-AQR3L4-en/
    APA
    Hongshou, Chen (n.d.). CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT [Painting]. https://wahooart.com/en/art/chen-hongshou-calligraphy-in-cursive-script-AQR3L4-en/
    Chicago
    Chen Hongshou. CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT. n.d. https://wahooart.com/en/art/chen-hongshou-calligraphy-in-cursive-script-AQR3L4-en/
    Harvard
    Hongshou, Chen (n.d.) CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT. Available at: https://wahooart.com/en/art/chen-hongshou-calligraphy-in-cursive-script-AQR3L4-en/

    Look closely

    CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT — Chen Hongshou

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Look back at Vase of Flowers, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    4. What might the artist have wanted you to feel?
    5. If you could ask the artist one question about this work, what would it be?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Questions & Answers

    Is "CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT" free of copyright?

    "CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT" by Chen Hongshou is in the public domain - its copyright has expired. This status governs how the image of the work may be reproduced.

    What level of contrast does "CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT" by Chen Hongshou show?

    The light-dark contrast of "CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT" is recorded as serene. Contrast describes how strongly light and dark areas differ.

    Do the colors of "CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT" appear strong or soft?

    The colors in "CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT" by Chen Hongshou have a balanced intensity.