Zhao Mengfu Writing the Heart (Hridaya) Sutra in Exchange for Tea
Medium
handscroll, ink and light color on paper
Dimensions
21.1 × 553.6 cm · image: 20.6 × 78.3 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1963.102
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
The Yuan dynasty calligrapher Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322) is said to have transcribed the Heart Sutra for a certain priest named Li in exchange for tea. Later, during the Ming dynasty, the professional painter Qiu Ying from Suzhou painted this scene for his patron. Here, Zhao Mengfu holds a brush and has a piece of paper laid out before him. On the table is an ink stone, an ink stick, and a small water dropper. Drops of water would dissolve the ink stick into liquid ink when it was ground on the fla...