Antiquities of Famous Stele and Calligraphy: Tang Dynasty, Yan Zhenqing's "Ode to the Restoration of the Great Tang"

Author: Huang Chun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Yan Zhenqing (709–778 AD), styled Qingchen, was a native of Langya Linlu (similar to Linlu in Shandong). He served as the governor of Pingyuan and was known as "Yan Pingyuan." Later, he rose to the position of Minister of Personnel, Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Lubei, earning the title "Yan Lugu." His calligraphy initially learned from Chu Suiliang and later mastered the brush technique from Zhang Xu, completely breaking away from the style of early Tang calligraphy and abandoning the trend of valuing elegance over substance. He transformed ancient methods, creating a new era of calligraphic style. If Wang Xizhi is the highest of calligraphy that values rhythm, then Yan Zhenqing is the supreme model of calligraphy that emphasizes rules. "Ta Tang Zhongxing Song" is a regular script stele from the Tang Dynasty, composed by Yuan Jie. Yan Zhenqing inscribed it in large characters and carved it onto the cliff at Wuxi in Qiyang, Hunan, in the sixth year of the Dali era (771 AD). The text comprises twenty-one lines, with twenty characters per line. Huang Tingzhi of the Song Dynasty once remarked, "Large characters should not exceed," referring to the famous cliff inscriptions like "Zhui He Ming" and the later "Zhongxing Song." This stele is precisely the one mentioned. The entire work exudes boldness, density, and vigorous strength, with an imposing and unwavering aura, clearly reflecting his upright character. The calligraphy is thick and powerful, with inner energy, skillfully employing the central brush technique. It embodies the essence of "golden hairpin vein," "water leakage trace," "vulture drawing sand," and "impressed ink," rich in both sinew and bone, yet also sharp and distinct. The structure of the characters evolved from the slender style of early Tang to a square form, with squareness revealing roundness, correctness without rigidity, and solemnity without danger, possessing a strong centripetal force. "Ta Tang Zhongxing Song" is another masterpiece among Yan Zhenqing's numerous steles. It is rarely published domestically, and this book presents a complete and well-preserved old in a photolithographic edition to delight the calligraphy enthusiasts.