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Mi Fu's Most Famous Paintings: All 4, Ranked
Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 4 works by Mi Fu in our catalogue
In short
The Mi Fu painting most people know is Title(Japanese): 草書四帖 (1000), and you can see it at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Осака. Right after it come 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). Out of 4 works by Mi Fu in our catalogue, these 4 are the best known. Each one comes with its year, its museum and a short note on what makes it stand out.
1051 – 1107, Jiangsu
Most works: Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts
Mi Fu's top 10: the pieces 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
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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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Where you can see Mi Fu's paintings
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 |
The famous Mi Fu pieces of each year
1095 is when every dated Mi Fu piece on this page was made. Here they are, most famous first.
Works per year
Pick a year to see its pieces.
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 paintings: what people want to know
What painting is Mi Fu best known for?See the answer
Top of the list is Title(Japanese): 草書四帖 (1000), Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Осака. Right behind it: 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 Mi Fu works are there?See the answer
We have 4 works by Mi Fu in our catalogue.
Which museums have Mi Fu's best-known paintings?See the answer
You'll find most of them in Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts (Осака) and Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven). The museum list above has the full breakdown.
Can I order a Mi Fu reproduction for my home?See the answer
Yes. Every painting on this page is available as a hand-painted oil reproduction or a print, in the size that suits you. Just open the painting's page to order.
Meet Mi Fu
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 ArtsDot: mi fei | ArtsDot
- explore the song dynasty's artistic heritage: song dynasty - wikipedia
- discover other notable artists on ArtsDot: art movements - ArtsDot