Ink on paper 30.5*537 cm

Wang Duo (1592-1652), also known by his zi(courtesy name) Juesi and his hao (literary names) Chi'an and Songqiao, was a native of Mengjin (in present-day Henan province). Reflecting his strong ties to his birthplace, he was also referred to as Wang Mengjin. He served as the Minister of Rites under both the Ming and Qing dynasties, was therefore regarded as a "twice-serving official" (erchen). He was a master of poetry, prose, painting, and calligraphy. In running and cursive script, he modeled his work on the earlier calligraphic masters Yan Zhenqing and Mi Fu; his brushwork is powerful, forceful, and dynamically aged, with particular strength in compositional structure, evoking the manner of the great Northern Song masters. His legacy profoundly influenced later giants like Wu Changshuo and Qi Baishi, and his style remains highly influential in contemporary Japanese calligraphy.