Song Su Shi Running Script Reply to Xie Min Shi Scroll

Author: Shanghai Shuhua Publishing House
Publisher:
Publishing Date: July 1, 2003
Features: Su Shi studied the Lan Xù in his early years, developed a fondness for Yan Wugu, Yang Ningshi, and Li Yong in his middle age, and by his later years, he integrated and created his own style. Huang Gongfu praised his calligraphy as: "The brushwork is round and the charm surpasses all, coupled with the brilliance of his prose, his loyalty and righteousness shine like the sun and moon. Among the calligraphers of our dynasty, he should undoubtedly be ranked first." It is said that Su Shi used a single hook and lying brush, taking elegance from the oblique angle, so his calligraphy is rich, robust, and powerful, with a round and strong brush force. When he started writing, the tip of the brush would reveal a slight sharpness, but when ending, it was as smooth as the light of a pearl or the trace of ink like millet, extremely harmonious. The structure of his characters is slightly tilted, with left extensions and right contractions, making his running script extremely fluid. His layout and composition are irregular yet orderly, with varying sizes and densities, creating a natural and wonderful harmony. Especially in his letters, he would pick up the brush effortlessly, letting the ink flow as the mood takes it, like the wind moving through the wind and clouds rising from the cliffs, giving a sense of the charm of prose. It is deeply thought-provoking and full of the vitality of literature.
The Su Shi Letter in Reply to Xie Minshi on Literary Matters included in this volume was written by Su Shi in the third year of Yuanfu (1100) in the Northern Song Dynasty, which is the year before his death. On his way north from Dangzhou (Hainan Island) after being pardoned, he passed through Qingyuan Xiashan Temple in Guangdong and wrote this letter to his friend Xie Minshi, responding to his questions about writing and expressing his insights on literary composition. Compared with the original text recorded in the Annotations on the Advanced Collection of Su Shi's Works by the Southern Song Dynasty scholar Lang Ye, the first part of the text is missing 148 characters. The eight characters "Shi opens this letter, the meaning of this text is suspected to be" at the beginning of the current scroll are not part of the original, and the closing line "Shi bows and greets, Xie Minshi, Accountant of the Official Residence, November 5th" is also not found in the collection. The postscript section includes a missing passage written by the Ming Dynasty calligrapher Lou Jian, who visited Su Shi's calligraphy style, along with inscriptions by Chen Jiru and others.
This scroll is on paper, measuring 27 cm in height and 96.5 cm in width, and is now preserved in the Shanghai Museum. Upon close examination, the calligraphy and text complement each other, flowing with an unstoppable momentum throughout the piece. Yu He once praised his calligraphy as: "Among the scholars of his time, Su Shi was highly regarded. Every time I see a fragment of his letter, I never fail to admire it. His traces still reveal his demeanor, let alone the exquisite brushwork and ink." Just as Lou Jian wrote in his postscript: "Su Shi's calligraphy is rich in flesh but strong in bone, with a dense appearance but a subtle meaning, hiding skill in simplicity, and particularly pure and ancient." Without a doubt, this letter is a masterpiece of Su Shi's life. It is now published in color facsimile according to the original, to delight the.