Yan Zhenqing's Eulogy to His Nephew

Author: Compiled by the Press
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-12-01
Features: In the first year of the Xuantong era, after the advanced technology of glass plate photolithography was introduced from Japan to China, it undoubtedly brought a new whirlwind to the calligraphy world at that time. A large number of genuine works by famous calligraphers were able to circulate in the world through photolithography. This enabled many modern calligraphers to benefit from it, exerting an immeasurable influence on the inheritance and development of calligraphy. The "Faxin Congtai" series of ancient calligraphers' works published by Shanghai Shuxue Publishing House provides calligraphy enthusiasts with the opportunity to appreciate the works of ancient masters. Yan Zhenqing was a famous calligrapher in ancient times, renowned not only for his regular script but also for his extraordinary skill in running script. His regular script is upright and straight, with broad and balanced structure, revealing a dignified and majestic demeanor in every stroke. The work published in this volume is his "Draft of Eulogy for His Nephew," known as the "Second Most Celebrated Running Script in the World," and is one of Yan Zhenqing's representative works. During the reign of Emperor Gaoxuanzong, in the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era, An Lushan rebelled and rebelled. Yan Zhenqing's cousin and his son, as well as Yan Zhenqing's nephew, were captured and brutally killed. In extreme grief and sorrow, Yan Zhenqing wrote this eulogy, filled with indignation and passionate emotion. The purpose of writing this eulogy was not to focus on calligraphy, but it has since been passed down as a masterpiece of calligraphy. This work features dynamic strokes, profound and vigorous, with strong and powerful brushwork, a continuous flow of energy, and harmonious integration of text and calligraphy. Appreciating this work reveals Yan Zhenqing's extraordinary calligraphic prowess, providing a model for calligraphy enthusiasts to emulate.
Yan Zhenqing (709-785) was the most famous calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty. His calligraphic skills were evident not only in regular script but also in running script. His brushwork is upright and straight, with broad and balanced structure, revealing a dignified and majestic demeanor in every stroke. His running script, however, is full of natural charm, lively and dynamic, and is known as the "Second Most Celebrated Running Script in the World," the "Draft of Eulogy for His Nephew." This is a representative work of Yan Zhenqing's running script. It is a draft of a eulogy. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, in the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era (755), An Lushan rebelled, and the cities in Hebei fell, except for Yan Zhenqing, who raised an army to defend the city of Pingyuan. His cousin Yan Gaoqing also rose up in resistance in Changshan. The son of Gaoqing, Yan Jiming, connected between Pingyuan and Changshan. In the first year of the Dede era (756), Changshan was destroyed by Shi Siming, and Gaoqing and Jiming were captured and brutally killed. In the first year of the Qianyuan era (758), Yan Zhenqing ordered his nephew Quanming (Jiming's older brother) to bring back Jiming's head to Changshan for a second eulogy. In the depths of his extreme pain and grief, Yan Zhenqing wrote this "Draft of Eulogy for His Nephew," filling the words with a sense of sorrow and indignation. Some say that this draft of running script contains anger, in fact, some of it refers to the content, of course, when writing this eulogy, Yan Zhenqing did not intend it as a work, "the mind is not on the calligraphy," the natural flow of the brushwork, so this work achieves a natural realm of "the less deliberate, the more excellent, the less striving, the more skillful."
If you observe the entire work, the strokes are dynamic, profound and vigorous, with strong and powerful brushwork, all executed with the central brushstroke, changing freely yet with a continuous flow of energy. As Wang Shizhen said in "The Four Collections of Mount Yan," "Yan Ruguang's 'Eulogy for His Nephew' has the charm of natural innocence and the beauty of running script, reaching this level. Ah! This draft is merely a draft, yet it is considered 'excellent without effort,' the pain of loyalty and righteousness is truly profound, and the waves and sparks between the strokes are eternal." This work is truly a harmonious integration of text and calligraphy. The characters are valued because of the person, as if assisted by the divine, and has been cherished and passed down to this day, which is indeed a miracle. The reason for this is that this draft has the following three characteristics: First, this draft incorporates the principles of seal script into running script, using the central brushstroke and a combination of speed and resistance, as if viewing the original in sunlight, a faint trace of ink is visible at the center of each stroke, known as "the breath of seal script," the characters are ancient and elegant, this is a natural effect produced by the brushforce, the central brushstroke, speed, and friction with the paper, which is difficult to achieve without years of practice and skill; second, in terms of brushwork, this draft deeply embodies the technique of "drawing with a cone in the sand," the strokes are not smooth but slightly rough, yet the brushforce is full and rich, with an infinite charm in the resistance, making it pleasing to touch and gaze upon repeatedly; third, in terms of structure, this draft adopts a concentric structure where all strokes point toward the center, the characters are connected and flow dynamically, with an unexpected yet natural elegance, as Ruan Yuan said, "like molten gold flowing freely, with an unrefined yet harmonious essence, no longer concerned with charm." Thus, it is clear that Yan Zhenqing possesses extraordinary calligraphic prowess.
Yan Zhenqing's running script also includes the "Seating Competition" and the "Draft of Eulogy for His Father," which are collectively known as the "Three Drafts of Yan." Wang Shu said in "Leftovers on Calligraphy," "The best draft calligraphy of the ancients is because their minds are not on the calligraphy, the natural flow of the brushwork often leads to divine inspiration, like Wang Xingzhe's 'Lanting,' Yan Gong's 'Three Drafts,' with an innocent charm that cannot be described. Intentional calligraphy often fails to reach this level, just like Li's arrows missing when Xie Shi was no longer present the next day, it cannot be achieved through mere intellect." This draft is an original, which greatly benefits learners of calligraphy in studying the technique of "drawing with a cone in the sand." Now, this rare piece is shared with fellow enthusiasts for appreciation and emulation.