Poems on Staying at Baique Temple

CHINA; Ming dynasty

These two poems were written by Wang Chong during his later years. When he was young, Wang had poor health and stayed Baique Temple for recuperation. These poems describe his stay and experiences at the temple, including his heartfelt feelings while listening to Buddhist chanting, and the sentiments he had when the monks bade him farewell.
There is a spacious and expansive quality in this work, as can be seen in the texture of the strokes and the character structure. Although cursive script was used, Wang wrote in a plain, unruffled style that befits regular script. The calligraphy is subtle in its brushwork and stylistic expressions, with only a quiet allure in its simplicity. This scroll is regarded as one of Wang’s masterpieces.
Wang Chong was also known as Luren or Yayi Shanren. A calligrapher and painter from Changzhou (present day Suzhou, Jiangsu) during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Wang was well-versed in poetry, writing, and calligraphy. He was particularly skilled in the running and regular scripts of the Jin dynasty, and many considered him to be the top calligrapher of his time after Wen Zhengming.