Chen Jiru
Elegant literati painter and calligrapher
Chen Jiru(陈继儒) (December 14, 1558 – October 16, 1639), courtesy name Zhongchun(仲醇), also known as Meigong(眉公) or Migong(麋公), was from Huating, Songjiang Prefecture (now Songjiang District, Shanghai). He was a famous painter, calligrapher, and writer of the Ming Dynasty in China. He came from the scholar-gentry class and, at the age of twenty-nine, retired to a small area in Kunshan. Later, he moved to East Sheshan, closed his doors to focus on writing, excelled in poetry and prose, studied the calligraphy of Su Shi and Mi Fu, and was also skilled in painting. He was repeatedly summoned by imperial edicts but always declined due to illness. Chen Jiru had a long-standing friendship with Dong Qichang and was closely associated with the father and son of the Suiyang Yuan family (Yuan Keli and Yuan Shu). Existing works include "Record of the Yuan Family Ancestral Temple by the Grand Marshal" and the "Preface to Yuan Boying’s Poetry Collection." He also compiled "Selected Poems of Famous Officials of the Current Dynasty," which includes works from Gao Qi and Wang Mian to Li Zhi and Tu Long, along with short biographies. He was good at ink plum blossoms and landscapes. His plum blossom paintings were often small album leaves, natural and free, with a sparse and elegant style. In painting theory, he promoted literati painting, supported the theory of northern and southern schools, valued the cultivation of the artist, and agreed that calligraphy and painting share the same origin. His works include "Plum Blossom Album" and "Cloud Mountain Scroll." His calligraphy blends the styles of Mi Fu and Yan Zhenqing. He copied the "Wanxiang Hall Collection" and "Laiyi Hall Collection" by hand, and surviving works include "Ban Yanzhai Poems in Running Script" and "Li Bai Poems in Running Script." During the Wanli to Chongzhen periods, he frequently took part in disaster relief efforts, submitting memorials requesting tax reduction in Songjiang and the establishment of porridge stations to help the hungry. In his later years, he was buried in East Sheshan. He authored works including "Complete Works of Chen Meigong," "Notes by the Small Window," "Nigu Record," and "Epitaph of General Wu Ge." ...