Calligraphy couplet of five-character lines, one of pairlate 17th centuryImage: 51 x 11 7/8 inches (129.5 x 30.2 cm)Hanging scroll: ink on paperGift of Professor Ray J. Wu82.065.002 a0Inscription translated as: "The fish jumps, penetrating the clear surface. The oriole calls, deeping the dense greenery." (Gallery label)Calligraphy19460816152Gong XianChinaBorn near Suzhou, Gong Xian spent his childhood in Nanjing and after the Manchu conquest moved to Yangzhou. In 1664 he returned to Nanjing where he built a retreat named the Half-Acre Garden. He is best known as a painter of landscapes, but his elegant writing was also highly admired.