Excerpt from Xie Huilian’s Prose Poem “On Snow” 1555 - 1636

Curator: Dong Qichang, a prominent figure of the late Ming dynasty, created this calligraphic scroll, "Excerpt from Xie Huilian’s Prose Poem “On Snow,” sometime between 1555 and 1636. It's rendered in ink on paper, currently residing here at The Met. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the dance of the brushstrokes, their stark contrast against the muted ground of the paper. It feels simultaneously ancient and vibrant. A sort of melancholic beauty. Curator: Absolutely. The materials are humble, yet the effect is powerful. The paper itself, likely handmade, carries a certain texture, a history of its own. The ink, ground from soot, gives us that deep, rich black. And let's consider the artist’s labor; each character meticulously placed. Editor: And the characters themselves, while indecipherable to most modern viewers, are brimming with cultural significance. Snow, in Chinese art, carries immense symbolic weight - purity, renewal, but also isolation, and hardship. The poem speaks to this, and Dong Qichang's interpretation amplifies it. Curator: Precisely. Think about the societal context: the literati culture valuing calligraphy not just for its aesthetic quality, but as a reflection of one's inner character, skill, and knowledge. Mastering the brush was an intensive practice. Editor: You can feel that intense study within each character. Each stroke holds echoes of a tradition, a philosophical understanding. It's like glimpsing a whole world through these symbols. This piece creates a narrative, one that connects the observer to a sense of Chinese heritage and contemplation. Curator: I'm drawn to how such commonplace materials—paper, ink—are transformed by Qichang’s hand, transcending mere functionality to become a window into both textual and emotional realms. Editor: For me, the piece invites us to meditate on themes as relevant now as then, using its careful script to communicate on life, humanity, nature. It's a compelling testament to art's enduring symbolic power.