Chen Jiru

Chen Jiru (1558–1639), courtesy name Zhongchun and style name Meigong, was a native of Huating in Songjiang Prefecture (present-day Songjiang, Shanghai) and a Ming dynasty writer, calligrapher and painter. At the age of twenty-nine he gave up the pursuit of official honors and lived in seclusion on Xiaokun and Dongshe mountains, devoting himself to writing. He was skilled in poetry and prose as well as calligraphy and painting, is credited with pioneering ink-wash plum blossoms, advocated the theory of the Southern and Northern schools of painting, and chief-edited the Chongzhen Songjiang Prefecture Gazetteer. His writings cover a wide range of subjects and are best known for their qingyan, or "pure talk," vignettes. Xiaochuang Youji (Notes from a Quiet Window) uses aphoristic short pieces to discuss conduct in the world, reading, and the pleasures of mountains and rivers; its concise, restrained language combines philosophical reflection with literary grace, making it a representative work of late-Ming qingyan literature. Nineteen of his works are held in this collection, spanning Eastern philosophy, classic works, essays and miscellaneous writings, social culture, and inspirational growth, which shows that his writing is still widely read today and is often regarded as reading for self-cultivation and the aesthetics of living. Chen Jiru's style is elegant and unhurried, conveying insights into life through brief chapters, and he has had a lasting influence on later xiaopin essays and qingyan works.