Inscriptions & Seals in Traditional Chinese Painting‑Calligraphy

Shen Ling of the Ming Dynasty noted: “Before the Yuan Dynasty, few paintings bore inscriptions. Artists hid signatures in rock crevices, fearing clumsy calligraphy would ruin the composition. Later, mature calligraphy blended with painting to create integrated visual beauty.” Poetry, prose, calligraphy and painting are closely‑related Chinese arts. From the Northern Song onward, literati‑painters such