news

한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina

There is a saying in calligraphy circles:The stele is not as good as the post, the post is not as good as the letter, the letter is not as good as the manuscript", the reason for this is that compared to stele inscriptions, ink scrolls are more delicate and precise in stroke details. Compared with ink scrolls, handwritten letters more truly show the writer's level. However, whether it is a stele, scroll or letter, it is not as good as a manuscript, because it omits embellishment and shows the author's most authentic writing level and state.

If we can start with the drafts of the ancients and copy them carefully, we will also understand the most essential part of their writing style. Since the drafts are not modified, the surface of the scroll often retains traces of smears and corrections. At first glance, it looks messy. Many laymen call them "ugly writing" or "ghostly characters" without detailed inspection, which is very inappropriate.

Among the drafts left in the history of calligraphy, no one can compare with Yan Zhenqing in terms of high level and richness of brushwork. His "Three Drafts of Yan" are regarded as models by later generations. The "Draft of Memorial to My Nephew" is very famous and is praised as "the second best running script in the world". The "Draft of Letter to My Uncle" is full of vigor and vitality.The "Dispute over Seat" is the real "peak work" of Yan Zhenqing's cursive script.。

It not only integrates the wonders of the "three drafts", but is also praised by many famous artists as being better than "Lanting Preface".Mi Fu said: "The characters are written with a blunt pen, and the meanings of each character are connected. The characters are flying, strange and unusual, and are obtained unexpectedly. This is the best calligraphy of Yan in the world." Wang Shu of the Qing Dynasty commented: "'Sacrifice to My Nephew' is strange, ancient and unrestrained, 'Telling My Uncle' is profound and calm, and 'On the Seat' has the peculiarity of both drafts. The emotions are different, and the calligraphy is different accordingly, so it directly becomes a divine work, which is enough to be the successor of 'Lanting'"

He Shaoji's evaluation is even more famous. He said bluntly:The calligraphy of this post is better than that of Lanting.", then, in what aspects is "Zheng Zuo Wei Tie" better than "Lanting Xu"? First of all, there is a debate about the authenticity of "Lanting Xu", and the credibility of "Zheng Zuo Wei Tie" is obviously higher. Moreover, it was written by Yan Lugong at will, with his heart and hand in harmony, and is more natural than "Lanting Xu". As the saying goes, "Writing is good when it is not intended to be good."

Secondly, the writing style of "Zhengzuozu Tie" is more ancient, incorporating the brushwork of "Zhuan Zhuan". Every stroke can withstand careful scrutiny. As the critic said, "it is simple and crude, but more powerful and imposing when enlarged and carefully observed", which is completely different from the style of "Lanting Xu". "He who no longer cares about beauty is of high quality, so this letter is the pinnacle of running script."

The "Dispute over Seat" was written in the second year of the Guangde reign of the Tang Dynasty (764). In order to please the eunuch Yu Chaoen, Guo Yingyi arranged his seat before the Shangshu, which made the loyal and upright Yan Zhenqing very angry, so he wrote this letter. The whole scroll has 68 lines and 1,193 characters. There are engraved copies and handwritten manuscripts handed down. The engraved copy is kept in the Xi'an Stele Forest, and the handwritten manuscript is kept in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

Postscript by Wang Shimin

Compared with the inscriptions, the ink manuscripts show the subtle strokes and changes in ink color. The strokes are vigorous and rich, with full tension at the turning points. The whole piece is written in a flowing style, with few dips of ink, striving to keep the breath coherent and smooth when writing. If you can copy it thoroughly, you will have learned the authentic brushwork of the Jin and Tang dynasties.

Now, we have reproduced this work in ultra-high definition, making it as easy to copy and appreciate as the original. If you are interested, please click the link below to take a look!