The Freer Gallery of Art possesses one of the most important collections of Chinese painting outside Asia, and its holdings from the Song and Yuan dynasties (10th–14th centuries) are particularly significant.
The collection includes an extraordinary group of eighty-two paintings—illustrating a range of themes, compositions, and stylistic conventions—and three independent works of calligraphy, two of which take the form of rubbings. More than ninety other examples of Song and Yuan calligraphy are featured in frontispieces, inscriptions, or colophons attached to paintings.
Many of the eighty-five Freer works have assumed near-iconic status in the study of Chinese brushwork in the West. Despite their exceptional quality, however, most are being thoroughly published for the first time on this website. This pioneering project enables web users around the globe to study these artworks in their entirety and, through the comprehensive documentation of all associated texts and accessories, gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for one of the world’s great artistic traditions.
