江行初雪圖-題跋1-乾隆
Think of this as the ultimate royal review section on a masterpiece. The bold characters on the far left identify the original piece as Zhao Gan's 'River Journey in Early Snow,' a classic from the Five Dynasties period. However, the flowing calligraphy taking up most of the space is actually a poem written by the Qianlong Emperor centuries later. Qianlong was famous for treating priceless art like a celebrity autograph book, stamping his massive red imperial seals—like the two giant ones on the right—all over the margins. He couldn't resist adding his own commentary, effectively turning this scroll into a historical conversation between a 10th-century master and an 18th-century emperor.
- Technique
- Ink calligraphy and cinnabar seal paste
Location: National Palace Museum, Taipei