Cao Baolin – Chinese Calligrapher

About the Artist

Cao Baolin is a pre-eminent scholar-calligrapher of the “tie xue” (model-book) school, famed for his deep mastery of the style of the Song-dynasty master Mi Fu. Combining rigorous academic research with exquisite brushwork, he represents the highest synthesis of scholarship and art in contemporary Chinese calligraphy.

Artist Introduction

Cao Baolin (曹宝麟) was born in Shanghai in May 1946 and is a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu. A leading contemporary calligrapher, calligraphy theorist and scholar, he is Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, and Director of the Calligraphy Research Institute of Jinan University. He earned his master’s degree in classical Chinese from Peking University in 1981. In 1982 he won first prize in the first National College Students Calligraphy Competition, which launched his career in the calligraphy world. He was awarded the National Prize at the 5th National Calligraphy Exhibition and the first prize of the prestigious Lanting Award, the highest honour in Chinese calligraphy. His publications include “Collected Writings of Cao Baolin”, “History of Chinese Calligraphy: Song, Liao and Jin Volume”, and scholarly volumes on Mi Fu, Cai Xiang and Northern Song masters for the “Complete Works of Chinese Calligraphy” series. In his art he distils the essence of the Song and Ming dynasties into a free, expansive style, studying Mi Fu with particular intensity while also drawing on Yan Zhenqing, Su Dongpo and Huang Shangu. He established a chronological sequence for more than one hundred works by Mi Fu, an unprecedented scholarly feat, and spent nearly a decade verifying two hundred Song-dynasty letters by over 150 writers, filling significant gaps in the study of Song political and cultural history.

Works Appreciation

Application Scenarios

Cao Baolin’s calligraphy is treasured by scholars and serious collectors for its authentic transmission of classical model-book traditions. His works suit refined display in studies, libraries and galleries, and are an ideal choice for collectors seeking art with both academic weight and investment value.