Mi Fu, 1051 – 1107
The 4 Most Famous Mi Fu Paintings, Ranked
The best-loved painting by Mi Fu is Title(Japanese): 草書四帖 (1000), which hangs in the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Осака. 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) come next among the canvases readers know best. Our catalogue holds 4 works by Mi Fu: here are the 4 most famous, each with its year, its museum and what makes it memorable.
Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated October 2026. Each painting on this page can be ordered as an oil reproduction painted by hand on linen canvas, or as a fine art print, made to the size you choose.
- Born · died
- 1051 – 1107, Jiangsu
- Works in our catalogue
- 4
- Most famous
- Title(Japanese): 草書四帖 (1000)
- Most works at
- Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts
Top 10 Mi Fu paintings: the canvases everyone knows
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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
3
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…
Where Mi Fu's canvases hang
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 |
Осака | 1 | Title(Japanese): 草書四帖 |
 Yale University Art Gallery |
New Haven | 1 | Mountains and Water |
Mi Fu's best-loved canvases, year by year
Every dated canvas by Mi Fu on this page was painted in 1095; here they are, the most famous first.
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1095
Ranked 3 of 4Poem 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…
About Mi Fu's canvases: your questions answered
What is the best-known painting by Mi Fu?Read the answer
Title(Japanese): 草書四帖 (1000), Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Осака. 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) follow.
How many works did Mi Fu paint in all?Read the answer
4 works by Mi Fu are in our catalogue.
Where can I see Mi Fu's most famous canvases?Read the answer
Mostly in Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts (Осака) and Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven); the list above names each museum and its canvases.
Can I buy a reproduction of a Mi Fu canvas?Read the answer
Yes. Every painting on this page can be ordered from its own page as an oil reproduction painted by hand, or as a fine art print, in the size you choose.
Mi Fu: a life in paint
early life and career
mi fei, a chinese painter, poet, and calligrapher, was born in 1051 ce in taiyuan during the song dynasty. his early life showed signs of interest in arts and letters, as well as unusual memory skills. as a member of a family with connections to the imperial family, mi fei was allowed the privilege of living in the royal palaces, where he began his career as reviser of books, professor of painting and calligraphy.artistic style and legacy
mi fei's style of painting misty landscapes, known as the "mi fu" style, involved the use of large wet dots of ink applied with a flat brush. this unique technique earned him a reputation as one of the four greatest calligraphers of the song dynasty, alongside su shi, hung tingjian, and cai xian. his son, mi youren, also became a well-known painter, adopting his father's use of large dots of wet ink, later nicknamed "mi dots."notable works and collections
* zhao mengfu: riders leading a white horse (indianapolis museum of art, silk) - showcases mi fei's influence on subsequent generations of artists. * wen zhengming: the studio of true appreciation (zhen shang zhai) (china modern and contemporary art document research center, paper) - demonstrates the enduring impact of mi fei's style on chinese art.personality and later life
mi fei was known for his eccentric personality, including a mania for cleanliness and an obsession with collecting stones, earning him the nickname "madman mi." he was also a heavy drinker. despite this, he continued to produce remarkable works of art, leaving behind a legacy as one of china's most celebrated artists.- view more of mi fei's work on TopImpressionists: mi fei | TopImpressionists
- explore the song dynasty's artistic heritage: song dynasty - wikipedia
- discover other notable artists on TopImpressionists: art movements - TopImpressionists