笪重光

Da Chongguang was an important theorist of painting and calligraphy in the late Ming and early Qing period. Public information about his life is limited, and neither his dates nor his birthplace are clearly recorded. Judging from the three works held in the collection, his writings focus on organizing and summarizing traditional Chinese theories of painting and calligraphy. Huajian (The Loach Net of Painting) discusses landscape painting in a concise parallel prose style, addressing core issues such as conception, composition, brushwork and ink, and artistic mood; its compressed and highly generalized language has long been valued by scholars of painting theory. Shufa (The Raft of Calligraphy) is devoted to calligraphy, covering brush use, character structure, and overall layout, showing his deep understanding of the common principles linking painting and calligraphy. Though brief, these works are finely reasoned and written in a spare style that combines theoretical depth with literary quality, giving them a place in the genealogy of classical Chinese painting and calligraphy theory; they are often grouped under theory, Eastern philosophy, and culture.