Artists › Painters and Calligraphers
Li Jianzhong
Early Northern Song official and calligrapher from Chang'an who served at the Western Capital censorate, hence the name Li Xitai
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 Dezhong · Hao Yanfu Minbo · Li Xitai
Li Jianzhong, courtesy name Dezhong, came from Jingzhao, today's Xi'an, and passed the jinshi examination in 983. He served in a series of judicial and prefectural posts, rose to director in the Ministry of Works and took charge of the censorate branch at the Western Capital, Luoyang, which gave him the name Li Xitai. He was the leading calligrapher of the early Song, writing a full, weighty running script. His surviving letters include the Tumu Letter, now in the Palace Museum, and the Tongnian Letter.
Life and times
Dates 945 CE–1013 CE