Calligraphy works and paintings at museum

Stele calligraphy began to thrive in the mid-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In the latter half of the dynasty and the following Republic of China (1912-1949), calligraphic art drew artistic nourishment from the tablets of the Wei (220-265), Jin (265-420), Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589), with great influence on style. It was a vogue for calligraphers to learn from the art of epigraphy in creating a new type of artwork. 

Traditional model calligraphy still existed, however. It became a common practice to learn from both stele and model calligraphy in creating many works. Different calligraphy genres contended and brought new features to the art.