Mi Fei

Mi Fu (1051–1107) (also known as Mi Fei) was a Chinese painter, poet, and calligrapher. He was born in Taiyuan, Shanxi during the Song Dynasty.

Mi Fei
Born	1051
Died	1107

Life

Mountains and Pines in Spring, National Palace Museum (Taipei)

Mi Fu was born in 1051. His mother was employed as a midwife, and delivered Emperor Shenzong. She became the Emperor's wet nurse.

Emperor Shenzong started his reign in 1051 and ruled until 1107. He knew the imperial family and lived in a privileged location near the royal palaces. He ignored formal lessons, but appeared to have gift for writing, painting and drawing. He eventually became of the four best calligraphers in the Song Dynasty.

Mi Fu was known as an odd man. Some called him "Madman Mi" because he collected stones and said one stone was his brother. He was a heavy drinker.

Career

Mi Fu became a civil servant with mixed success. He was firstly a book editor in the Emperor's library. Next he worked in a number of posts in Henan province. At the Emperor's palace in 1103, he was given the post of Professor of Painting and Calligraphy, which allowed him to select which paintings and calligraphy were good enough to belong to the Emperor.

He later became secretary to the Board of Rites, then was appointed governor of Huaiyang in Jiangsu province.

Style

He specialized in painting misty landscapes. The "Mi Fu" style uses large wet dots of ink applied with a flat brush.

Mi Fu's poetry followed the style of Li Bai and his calligraphy that of Wang Xizhi.

Legacy

Mi Fu died in 1107. He had five sons and eight daughters. One of his sons, Mi Youren, became a famous painter in his father's artistic style.

Mi Fu is considered the best of all the calligraphers of the Song dynasty. One of his works was sold for nearly four million dollars.

Related pages

• List of Chinese painters