Together with Mi Wanzhong (d.1628), Dong Qichang (1555-1636) and Xing Tong (1551-1612), Zhang was considered one of the Four Masters of Calligraphy of the late-Ming dynasty (1368-1644). His 'qiyi' (strange and extraordinary) style of writing stood out prominently and was greatly applauded by critics of the 17th century. In this set of hanging scrolls, Zhang’s prickly calligraphy and unique arrangement of the characters (by situating them tightly within a single column and spacing the columns widely) was idiosyncratic and refreshing. His characters are mostly very angular, with a squarish top elongating and narrowing towards the base. His brush movements are also highly abbreviated, typical of the period.
