Yushaosong on Calligraphy and Painting

Author: Yu Zian (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: This book compiles the main works of Yu's calligraphy and painting into one collection, including Special Essays on Painting, Inscriptions on His Own Calligraphy and Painting, Annotations on Ancient Calligraphy and Painting, Records of Ancient Calligraphy and Painting Seen, and Others. From the title Essays on Painting, it can be inferred that Yu was an expert in ancient calligraphy and painting appreciation. In addition to discussing the works themselves, he also recorded many anecdotes of collectors and enthusiasts who dedicated themselves to preserving cultural relics, regardless of the harsh weather, reflecting the patriotic spirit of scholars. In Notes on Reading Paintings, Yu wrote: "Over the years, I have seen many works by famous painters, but without any records. I see them and then forget, as if I had not seen them at all." In reality, he either did not record them or, when he did, they held significant meaning. Not only did it help him remember, but it was also greatly beneficial to others and to researchers of painting history and theory. Lu You once wrote a poem: "In a thousand five hundred years, only the sound of the rapids remains as it was." The sound of the rapids may seem unchanged, but it still requires people to contemplate it. As for historical and literary records, they not only concern "a thousand five hundred years of events" but also events spanning two or three thousand years, enabling people to "review the past and learn the new." Yu's Essays on Painting will have a far greater impact on academia and the art world than "singing by the fishing boat at midnight." As a researcher of painting history and theory, I deeply feel that his comments, "Though the person is gone, their sentiments endure for a thousand years," have only increased my reverence for the senior predecessor. Yu Shaozong once said: "To excel in any art, one must first master its principles." Now, the compilation and publication of this Essays on Painting demonstrate that this senior predecessor "excelled in learning and integrated it with the way," that he "became wiser the more he discussed matters, and broader the more deeply he discussed art." In our Zhejiang province, and even across the nation, the publication of this Essays on Painting by this erudite scholar from Longyou is a blessing to the current literary world. I believe that after reading it, all will praise it. With my poor writing skills, why should I write a lengthy preface just to drown in words? Therefore, I shall not elaborate further.