Artists › Painters and Calligraphers
Zhang Jizhi
Southern Song calligrapher, son of a vice councillor, famed for his large regular script, whose writing was prized even in the Jin state
A desk holds an unrolled sheet bearing three bold black ink strokes, with a rack of many brushes above it, a stone ink slab and ink stick, a porcelain bowl, a red lacquer box, a dish of red seal paste and a paperweight; a small seated figure shows through a round window onto bamboo.
Also known as Zi Wenfu · Hao Chuliao
Zhang Jizhi, courtesy name Wenfu, art name Chuliao, belonged to a Liyang family of Hezhou but was born in Yin county, the son of the vice councillor Zhang Xiaobo. Entering office through his father's privilege, he served in the Liangzhe fiscal commission and rose to assistant in the Court of Agriculture, was briefly prefect of Jiaxing before being dismissed, and retired with an honorary academy title. His calligraphy followed Mi Fu with touches of Ouyang Xun and Chu Suiliang and was strongest in large characters; the Song History says he was known for it throughout the realm and that the Jin especially treasured his writing. Surviving works include the Record of the Baoben Hermitage, a scroll of Du Fu's poems and several sutras in regular script, among them a copy of the Duren jing bearing his name.
Life and times
Dates 1186 CE–1266 CE (death also given as 1263)