Zhang Ruitu

Zhang Ruitu was from Jinjiang, Fujian province. He entered the imperial bureaucracy in 1607, but in 1629 was stripped of his high rank and reduced to commoner status as a result of political intrigue. Zhang returned to his home village, where he became interested in Chan (Japanese: Zen) Buddhism and practiced poetry, painting, and calligraphy. He is considered one of the four masters of calligraphy of the late Ming dynasty.

Zhang Ruitu: style name: Changgong, sobriquet: Ershui. A native of Jinjiang, Fujian, Zhang earned in 1608 the rank of tanhua as one of the most successful candidates in the highest-level regular civil service recruitment examinations. Soon after being appointed to serve as Grand Secretariat in 1628, he became allies with the powerful, evil official Wei Zhongxian. Together, they rapidly corrupted the government, for which he was later dismissed from the court. In calligraphy, Zhang practiced classical styles developed during the Tang and Song dynasties. His writing is characteristic of a well-structured form.