書法聯

琴言清若水
詩夢暖扵春 

Zither expressions are as clear as water
Poetic dreams are warmer than Spring

Chen has manipulated the shapes of the characters for dramatic effect. He bent or slanted some strokes that would normally be vertical (as on the top of the first character in the left-hand scroll), squeezed characters to make them narrower (third character on right and fourth character on left), and accentuated the long downward diagonal strokes of others. Together the exaggerated forms make a pleasing, rhythmic overall composition.

Chen was a seal carver, calligrapher, and painter of the middle Qing dynasty (1644–1912) from Zhuji in Zhejiang province.