Heart Sutra

CHINA; Qing dynasty

This sutra manuscript is thought to have been the last work of Bada Shanren, as it was written close to the age when he passed away. It consists of 17 lines with a total of 274 characters.
Bada Shanren was a monk, painter, calligrapher, and poet of the late Ming (1368–1644) and early Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. He was particularly good at depicting landscapes, flowers, birds, bamboo and trees in his paintings, and as a calligrapher, he studied many schools of writing and produced works in a variety of styles. During his early years, he emulated the styles of Huang Tingjian and Dong Qichang and was able to master the spirit and essence of their calligraphy without losing the sense of order and control that each held. This revealed his talent and capability in learning the art of calligraphy. Bada later stripped his work of all fanciful articulations and created characters in uniform stroke thicknesses. This was done in order to give a better understanding of how the placement of the sharp tip and the use of force influenced each stroke. This sutra is an example of his later style, however, as it was a Buddhist text, it was written with substantial caution, reverence, and attention, resulting in a calm and intriguing effect. This fine manuscript is regarded as one of Bada Shanren’s most well-written pieces.