Ch'ao Pu-chih,

Original: Hanging-scroll, Ink on paper, 50.6 cm X 20.4 cm

Signed "Ch'ao Wu-chiao" with one seal "Yun-p'ing yen-chang wu-lu." Colophon by Wang Shen

Collector's seals: sealed "Ming Wen-tuan shih-jia t'u-shu" and with eight Ch'ien-lung seals

　Yao Pu-chih (1052-1110) came from Chu-shu in Chi-chou. His style name was Wu-chiao. In later life a great admiration for T'ao Yuan-ming led him to leave his post and adopt the nickname Kuei-lai-tzu after T'ao's famous poem of that name. Of an easy-going personality, he read unceasingly and wrote some exceedingly bizarre poetry. Both his painting and calligraphy are of high quality. There was not an ancient master that he did not follow. He modeled his Bodhisattvas on Hou Yu, his devas on Wu Tao-tzu, his pines and rocks on Kuan T'ung. He imitated the palace scenes of Chou Fang, the streams, soaring mountains, and riding parties of Wei Hsien; he made a study of Han Kan's horses and Pao Ting's lions. I Yuan-chi's paintings of monkeys and deer and Tsui Po's paintings of cranes and storks both exerted an influence on his work.