Yan Zhenqing's Yuan Cishan Stele

Author: Shanghai Fine Arts Publishing House
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-12-01
Features: Yan Zhenqing, styled Qingchen, was a native of Jingzhao Wannian. His ancestral home was in Langya Linyi. He was born in the third year of the Jinglong era of Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang Dynasty (709) and died in the first year of the Zhenyuan era of Emperor Dezong (785), making him the fifth-generation descendant of Yan Zhipu, a renowned literary figure of the Liang Dynasty. Zhenqing lost his father in childhood. During his youth, due to poverty, he had no money to buy paper and practiced calligraphy by dipping his brush in mud on the wall. Born into a scholarly family, he also received guidance from his uncle Yuansun and elder brother Yunnan, studying in seclusion and thus becoming erudite and versatile, particularly skilled in prose. In the twenty-second year of the Kaiyuan era (734), he passed the imperial examination and was appointed as the county magistrate of Liquan in the first year of the Tianbao era. In the sixth year of the Tianbao era, he was promoted to the position of censors-in-chief. Due to his bold and straightforward remonstrances, he was disliked by Yang Guozhong and exiled as the grand secretary of Pingyuan Commandery. In the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era, An Lushan rebelled, and the northern provinces fell into his hands, except for Yan Zhenqing, who, together with his cousin Yan Gaoqing, fiercely resisted and thus saved the people of Pingyuan from devastation. Emperor Xuanzong praised him and promoted him to the position of deputy minister of revenue, appointing him as the regional commander-in-chief of Hebei. In the second year of the Zide era, he met Emperor Suzong, who enfeoffed him as the right vice minister of the Ministry of Justice and granted him the title of Marquis of Lu. In the third year of the Zide era (782), Li Xili rebelled and captured Yuzhou, threatening Luoyang. The treacherous official Lu Qiji persuaded Emperor Dezong to send Yan Zhenqing to negotiate. Li Xili failed to coerce or tempt him and thus imprisoned Yan Zhenqing for three years. Refusing to yield, Yan Zhenqing was strangled to death in the Longxing Temple of Cai Prefecture at the age of seventy-seven.
Yan Zhenqing initially studied calligraphy under Chu Suiliang and traced his style back to the calligraphers Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, as well as Cai Yong. He absorbed the influences of Northern Dynasties works such as the "Gao Zhi Tomb Stele" and the "Zhang Menglong Stele," incorporating folk calligraphy while elevating it to a refined art. He adopted the horizontal and vertical structure of Han dynasty clerical script, transforming tradition into innovation and simplicity into grandeur. Gradually, he developed a bold, majestic, and dignified style of regular script, breaking free from the conventions of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi and a new aesthetic realm. Yan Zhenqing's regular script appears clumsy but is actually refined; seemingly fat but truly vigorous; resembling turbidity but embodying depth. His horizontal strokes are wide and balanced, exuding an air of dignity—like "a dignified and cultured scholar, with his sleeves neatly tucked and his ceremonial sticks held upright, standing on the imperial court, never daring to be disrespectful." Zhu Changwen, in his "Mochi Bian," praised his calligraphy: "Observing the 'Zhongxing Song,' one sees magnificence and brilliance, reflecting the grandeur of his merits; observing the 'Jiamao Stele,' one sees solemnity and sincerity, revealing his filial piety; observing the 'Xiantan Ji,' one sees elegance and aspiration, mirroring his noble spirit; observing the 'Yuan Cishan Ming,' one sees depth and purity, showcasing his virtuous character. His dots are like falling stones, strokes like summer clouds, hooks like golden swords, and turns like drawn bows. His calligraphy is both dynamic and elegant, surpassing all masters since Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi."
Yan Zhenqing also loved inscribing stone, and he kept stone carvers in his household, resulting in numerous stone inscriptions that have been preserved. The "Yuan Cishan Ming" was written in the seventh year of the Dali era (772), when Yan Zhenqing was sixty-three. The stele stands 1.9 meters tall, with a width of 95 centimeters, inscribed on all four sides. The front and back sides each have seventeen lines, while the left and right sides have four lines each, with thirty-five characters per line. The stele contains a total of 1,360 characters and is located within the Confucius Temple in Lushan County, Henan. This stele is also known as the "Yuan Jie Stele of Rongzhou Commandery."
When writing this stele, Yan Zhenqing had reached the peak of his mature style. The stele's characters are robust, powerful, and imposing, with a harmonious arrangement and vibrant spirit, making it a masterpiece of his regular script. While the regularity of the stele makes it difficult to achieve dynamic variation, it is not hard to convey depth and vigor, nor is it difficult to maintain naturalness. To appreciate Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy, one must seek the balance between natural fluctuations and steady strength. "In truth, Yan's regular script is severe in form but harmonious in spirit. If one uses heavy ink and thick strokes to force it, one cannot capture the ancient simplicity of his style. To truly appreciate this simplicity, one must have a fine rubbing. Now, I share this rubbing with fellow enthusiasts, offering it to all lovers of calligraphy. This book is one of the classics of stone inscriptions and rubbings. It includes the complete text of the Tang dynasty calligraphy "Yan Zhenqing Yuan Cishan Ming." The book is beautifully printed, capturing the essence of the original work and serving as an excellent model for those learning regular script.