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南宋 馬和之 詩經小雅鴻雁之什六篇圖 卷|Courtly Odes, Beginning with "Wild Geese" by Ma Hezhi

Ma Hezhi · 12th century

This exquisite handscroll, "Courtly Odes, Beginning with 'Wild Geese'" by Ma Hezhi, was created around 1150 for imperial viewing in the Southern Song court. It's a sophisticated visual anthology, illustrating ancient poems from the Shijing (Classic of Poetry) through delicate ink and color on silk, now held at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Notice how the artist pairs evocative landscapes with columns of calligraphy. The pale, dissolving ink wash creates atmospheric scenes, like a mist-shrouded hillside, designed to complement the serene and introspective mood of the ancient verses. Ma Hezhi's distinctive 'orchid leaf' brushwork creates soft-edged, transient forms, lending an ethereal quality to the painting.

Commissioned for the emperor, this work served as a private "picture-book," merging poetic verse with visual artistry. It reflects the cultivated appreciation for both literary tradition and artistic interpretation in 12th-century China, providing a contemplative experience.

How do you think art helps bring ancient texts to life?

Details

Each section pairs a landscape scene with lines of calligraphy.
Each section pairs a landscape scene with lines of calligraphy.
The calligraphy translates poems from the 7th-century BCE, Shijing.
The calligraphy translates poems from the 7th-century BCE, Shijing.
This painter was known for soft, ethereal scenes like this.
This painter was known for soft, ethereal scenes like this.
His delicate ink-wash style echoed the poems' contemplative mood.
His delicate ink-wash style echoed the poems' contemplative mood.
This handscroll was made for the emperor, a sophisticated picture-book.
This handscroll was made for the emperor, a sophisticated picture-book.
Transcript

This scroll, painted around 1150, illustrates ancient Chinese poems. Each section pairs a landscape scene with lines of calligraphy. The calligraphy translates poems from the 7th-century BCE, Shijing. This painter was known for soft, ethereal scenes like this. His delicate ink-wash style echoed the poems' contemplative mood. This handscroll was made for the emperor, a sophisticated picture-book. Art and poetry combined for private, imperial viewing.