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Emperor Hui Tsung (1082-1135) whose personal name was Chao Chi ascended
the throne in 1102. Even as a prince, he was already interested in art and
literature, and his circle of acquaintances included many men of letters.
His pictures of landscapes, flowers, birds and figures all showed a
distinctive charm and individuality. He was particularly fond of painting
birds; He spared no effort in observing their form and behaviour; and in
order to make his pictures attractive, he employed lacquer instead of ink
in painting bird's eyes. He developed a highly personal calligraphic style
called "Slender Gold", characterized by strong and spiky brush
strokes. He was also a discriminating collector. The Hsuan-Ho Hua-P'u, a
catalogue of famous paintings which remains today an important-reference
book for the study of Chinese painting, was complied under his order.
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