Photo Source: www.shanghaimuseum.net
Compiled by Rachel Hou

Li Jianzhong (945-1013)
Gui Zhai Tie
in running script
Collection of the Palace Museum
Li Jianzhong (945-1013) or Li Xitai, a native of Jingzhao (present-day Xi'an, Shanxi province) is also known by his zi (designated name) Dezhong and his hao Yanfu Minbo. He was a famous calligrapher of the early Northern Song dynasty.

Fan Zhongyan (989-1052)
Ode to the Taoist costume
in regular script
Collection of the Palace Museum
Fan Zhongyan (989-1052), a native of Wu County (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu province), is alos known by his zi (designated name) Xiwen. As a well-renowned politician and litterateur of the Northern Song dynasty, he is very famous for his work Note of Yueyang Tower in Chinese history.

Ouyang Xiu(1007-1072)
Zhuo Ai Tie
in running script
Collection of the Palace Museum
Ouyang Xiu(1007-1072) is a native of Luling (Ji'an, Jiangxi province). He is also known by his zi (designated name)Yongshu and his hao Zuiweng and Liuyi Jushi (drunken man) in the later years. With great accomplishment in Chinese calligraphy, he initiated a new style of his own.

Cai Xiang(1012-1067)
Poems
in running script
Collection of the Palace Museum
Cai Xiang(1012-1067), a native of Xianyou, Fujian province, is also known by his zi (designated name)Junmo. As a politician and calligrapher of the Northern Song dynasty, he was adept at calligraphy in bother regular and running-cursive scripts, and crowned as one of the "Four Great Masters of the Song Dynasty" together with Su Shi, Mi Fu and Huang Tingjian.

Huang Tingjian (1045-1105)
Zhu Shang Zuo
in cursive script
Collection of the Palace Museum
Huang Tingjian (1045-1105), a native of Fenning (present-day Xiushui, Jiangxi province), is also known by his zi(designated name) Luzhi and his hao Shangu Daoren. As a celebrated calligrapher of the Song dynasty, he was crowned as one of the "Four Great Masters of the Song Dynasty" together with Su Shi, Mi Fu and Cai Xiang.

Huang Tingjian (1045-1105)
Avatamsaka Sutra
in running script
Collection of the Shanghai Museum

Wang Shen (1048-after 1104)
Poems
in running script
Collection of the Palace Museum
Wang Shen (1048-after 1104), a native of Taiyuan, Shanxi province, is also known by his zi (designated name) Jinqing. Devoted to collection, poetry, calligraphy and painting, he is noted for his inimitable calligraphy style.

Mi Fu (1052-1108)
Poems on Tiaoxi
in running script
Collection of the Palace Museum
Mi Fu (1052-1108) is also known by his zi (designated name)Yuanzhang and his hao Xiangyang Manshi and Haiyue Waishi. He moved from his birthplace Taiyuan and lived in Xiangyang. Adept at calligraphy and painting and mastering authentication, he initiated "Mi's landscape painting" and was crowned as one of the "Four Great Masters of the Song Dynasty" together with Su Shi, Cai Xiang and Huang Tingjian. The poetry scroll was finished on August 8th, 1088 during the Yuanyou reign.

Mi Fu (1052-1108)
Can Zheng Tie
in running script
Collection of the Shanghai Museum

Xue Shaopeng (Northern Song ?-?)
Da Nian Tie
in cursive script
Collection of the Palace Museum
Adept at calligraphy, Xue Shaopeng shared the same fame as Mi Fu. The two were esteemed as "Mi-Xue" at that time.

Zhao Ji (1082-1135)
The moon of the leap Mid-autumn Day Tie
in regular script
Collection of the Palace Museum
Zhao Ji (1082-1135), a native of Zhuo County, Hebei Province, was the emperor of the Song dynasty who remained in power for 25 years. Having great interest in art instead of politics, he was proficient in both calligraphy and painting. His calligraphy is in a special script known as "slender gold script".

Zhao Gou (1107-1187)
Thousand characters after Yu Shinan
in regular and cursive scripts
Collection of the Shanghai Museum
Zhao Gou (1107-1187) was the Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song dynasty. He was adept at landscape, figure, bamboo-and-rock paintings as well as calligraphy.

Lu You (1125-1210)
Poems
in running script
Collection of the Palace Museum

Fan Chengda(1126-1193)
Zhong Liu Yi Hu Tie
in running-cursive script
Collection of the Palace Museum
Fan's extraordinary accomplishment in classical poetry contributed to his secular fame in literati.

Zhu Xi (1130-1200)
Replying poems on the sceneries of Southern Changsha
Zhu Xi (1130-1200), entitled as Master Kaoting, is also known by his zi (designated name) and his hao Hui'an. He was a native of Wuyuan, Huzhou (present-day Jiangxi province) and later moved to Jianzhou. As an esteemed philosopher, educationist and litterateur, he was also adept at calligraphy in a serene and elegant style.

Xin Qiji (1140-1207)
Qu Guo Tie
in running script
Collection of the Palace Museum

Zhang Jizhi (1186-1266)
Notes of Dailou Court
in running script
Collection of the Shanghai Museum
Donated by Liu Jingji
Zhang Jizhi (1186-1266), a native of Hezhou (present-day Anhui province), is also known by his zi (designated name)Wenfu. Being proficient in calligraphy in running and regular scripts, he is specially noted for his vigorous brushwork in the style of Yan Zhenqing.

Wu Ju (active in the 12th century)
Five paragraphed manuscript
in running script
Collection of the Shanghai Museum
Wu Ju (active in the 12th century) was proficient in calligraphy and adept at painting bamboo and rocks.

Jiang Kui (ca. 1155-1235)
Colophon on Bao Mu Tie
in running script
Collection of the Palace Museum
Jiang Kui (ca. 1155-1235), a native of Poyang, Raozhou (present-day Boyang, Jiangxi province), was also known by his zi (designated name) Raozhang and his hao Baishi Daoren for living next to the Baishi Cave. As a prominent poet of the Southern Song dynasty, he was also adept at calligraphy with vigorous brushwork. Baishi Poetry and Xushu Pu are his representative works.

Zhao Meng Jian (1199-1264)
Poems
in running script
Collection of the Shanghai Museum
Proficient in poetry and calligraphy, Zhao Meng Jian (1199-1264) is also noted for his painting orchids, bamboo and rocks. Guide to Plum Bloosom Paintings is one of his representative works. This scroll was finished in 1254 during the Baoyou reign.

Wen Tianxiang (1236-1283)
Shang Hong Zhai Tie
in running script
Collection of the Palace Museum
Wen Tianxiang (1236-1283), a native of Luling, Jizhou, is also known by his zi (designated name) and lvshan. He served as a prominent minister at the end of the Southern Song dynasty. His poetry anthology compiled by people later is entitled Collected Edition of Master Wenshan.