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Mi Fu: The 4 Most Famous Paintings, Documented
Updated Oktober 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 4 works by Mi Fu in our catalogue
Zusammenfassung
According to this ranking, Title(Japanese): 草書四帖 (1000) is the most famous painting by Mi Fu; the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Osaka, holds it. It is followed by Model Calligraphies of Yingguang Hall (Yingguangtang tie)\n\nImage 1 of album 1 (1200) and Poem Written in a Boat on the Wu River (1095). This list draws on the 4 works by Mi Fu in the catalogue and records the 4 most famous, with date, holding museum and description for each entry.
1051 – 1107, Jiangsu
Most works: Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts
Mi Fu: top 10 entries of the list
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Model Calligraphies of Yingguang Hall (Yingguangtang tie)\n\nImage 1 of album 1
Yingguangtang Tie is a collection of model calligraphy by Mi Fu (1051–1108) of the Northern Song. The rubbing was commissioned by Yue Ke (1183– after 1241), grandson of the famous General Yue Fei during the early Shaoding reign of the Southern Song (ca. 1229–1233). Mi Fu was a great painter and one of the
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Poem Written in a Boat on the Wu River
Sun Guoting"s Manual on Calligraphy (687) states that calligraphy reveals the character and emotions of the writer. Few works demonstrate this principle as clearly as this handscroll by Mi Fu, the leading calligrapher of late Northern Song. Mi wrote Sailing on the Wu River with a suspended arm, working from the elbow rather than the wrist. It was not his aim to form perfect characters; instead, he entrusted his writing…
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Mi Fu: holding museums
The 2 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Mi Fu | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts |
Osaka | 1 | Title(Japanese): 草書四帖 |
 Yale University Art Gallery |
New Haven | 1 | Mountains and Water |
Mi Fu by year: the most famous paintings
The dated works of Mi Fu recorded on this page all date from 1095.
Works per year
Select a year to display its principal paintings.
1095
Poem Written in a Boat on the Wu River
Age 44
1 work this year
Sun Guoting"s Manual on Calligraphy (687) states that calligraphy reveals the character and emotions of the writer. Few works demonstrate this principle as clearly as this handscroll by Mi Fu, the leading calligrapher of late Northern Song. Mi wrote Sailing on the Wu River with a suspended arm, working from the elbow rather than the wrist. It was not his aim to form perfect characters; instead, he entrusted his writing…
Mi Fu: questions and documented answers
Which Mi Fu painting heads the list of most famous works?Display the answer
Title(Japanese): 草書四帖 (1000), Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Osaka. The following entries are Model Calligraphies of Yingguang Hall (Yingguangtang tie)\n\nImage 1 of album 1 (1200) and Poem Written in a Boat on the Wu River (1095).
How many works by Mi Fu are recorded?Display the answer
The catalogue records 4 works by Mi Fu.
In which collections are Mi Fu's most famous works held?Display the answer
Principally in Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts (Osaka) and Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven). The museum table above gives the full distribution.
Where can reproductions of Mi Fu's paintings be obtained?Display the answer
Yes. Each work listed on this page can be ordered from its own entry as a hand-painted oil reproduction or a fine art print, in a size of your choice.