Poem 1600 - 1911

Editor: So, here we have Dong Qichang's "Poem," an ink and watercolor drawing on paper created sometime between 1600 and 1911. It’s displayed as a fan at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It strikes me as both intensely personal and strangely abstract, with all those flowing calligraphic forms. What do you see in this piece, Professor? Curator: Ah, yes, a dance of ink! I see a conversation across centuries. Dong Qichang was not just writing words; he was channeling mountains, rivers, the very breath of the cosmos onto this small paper fan. Look at the deliberate placement of each stroke. Do you see how some are thick and grounded, like ancient trees, while others are light and airy, like wisps of cloud? Editor: I do now that you point it out! It's not just about the writing but the feeling each character evokes, like little landscapes within themselves. Curator: Exactly! Think of Chinese gardens – miniature worlds designed to inspire contemplation. This fan operates in a similar way. It's an invitation to wander, to find your own path through the poem’s landscape. What does the poem speak to you? Editor: Honestly? A sort of peaceful wandering, like being lost in thought, maybe a bit melancholy, if I'm being truly honest. It seems there are so many hidden references I can't understand. Curator: That feeling of "not quite grasping" is key. It mirrors life, doesn’t it? A beautiful, flowing mystery. It encourages repeated viewing, each encounter offering new insights, new echoes of feeling. Editor: I guess that's what makes it so enduring. Thanks! I'm certainly seeing it with new eyes now. Curator: And so am I! That’s the joy of art, isn't it? It reflects back what we bring to it.