Lu Jianzhi's Prose on Literature

Author: Shanghai Shuhua Publishing House Editorial
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-10-01
Features: Lu Jiezhi, whose birth and death years are unknown, was approximately a person from the early Tang Dynasty during the reigns of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozong. He was the nephew of Yu Shennan and a native of Wuxing, Suzhou. He held the official positions of Chaisan Dafu and Taizisi Silang. In his youth, he learned calligraphy from Yu Shennan and later traced back to the Wei and Jin dynasties to specialize in Wang Xizhi. Zhu Changwen's Mochi Bian states: "Lu Jiezhi was an expert in calligraphy, renowned alongside Ou Yangxi and Chu Zaiyuan. His clerical script and running script were exquisite, while his cursive script was proficient. His clerical script and running script remain unparalleled to this day. I once viewed his cursive script and found it ancient in spirit and mature in brushwork—truly, a name not undeserved." Although his running script originated from Yu Shennan, his style surpassed him. His brushwork was unrestrained yet graceful, captivating and highly praised as embodying the "virtue of surpassing one's master" (as mentioned in Shushihuiyao). The Toutuo Tie he wrote contains twenty-five characters in print.
Lu Jiezhi, a native of Wuxing, was the nephew of Yu Shennan. In his early years, he learned calligraphy from his uncle, later studying the works of the "Two Wangs" (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi). He was known for the "virtue of surpassing one's master." Very few of his calligraphic works have been passed down. The Jiangtie contains twenty-five characters in Lu's handwriting, as well as a volume of running script titled Wenfu by Lu Ji.
Zhao Mengfu considered Lu Jiezhi's calligraphy as follows: "In the early Tang Dynasty, those skilled in calligraphy were Ou Yangxi, Yu Shennan, Chu Zaiyuan, and Xue Jing. When it comes to calligraphy, could he be ranked below these four? However, his works are rarely seen in the world, so few people know of him." When we examine the ink rubbing of Lu Jiezhi's Wenfu, it mirrors the description in Lu Ji's Wenfu essay: "Containing the universe within its form, subduing all things with the brush," and "Spreading the fragrance of fragrant vines, unfolding the dense green branches." It exudes a free and unrestrained spirit, with brushwork that directly follows the style of the "Two Wangs."
This scroll, written on plain silk, is now preserved in the Palace Museum. It is now published in print to delight the.