Huang Tingjian Huayan Shu

Author: Compiled by the Editorial Department
Publisher:
Publish Date: April 1, 2004
Features: Huang Tingjian, born in the fifth year of the Qingli period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1045) and died in the fourth year of the Chongning period of Emperor Huizong (1105), styled Luzhi and styled Gufo, once traveled to Qianshan, Guishan, and Niujian, appreciating the beauty of the springs and rocks, thus also taking the title of Shanyue Taoist. Born in Fenzining, Hongzhou, Jiangxi, his father, Huang Shu, was a jinshi in the Qingli period but was unable to hold office due to his straightforwardness. At the age of fourteen, Huang Tingjian lost his father, and the family fell into hardship. From a young age, he was exceptionally intelligent, memorizing books after a single reading, and passed the imperial examination in the fourth year of the Zhiping period (1067), serving as the county magistrate of Yeyang in Runzhou, and later holding positions such as the professor of the Guozijian in Damingfu, the magistrate of Taihe County. In the Yuanfeng period, Su Shi saw his poems and prose and praised them as transcending the mortal world, greatly enhancing his reputation. During the reign of Emperor Zhizong, he was summoned as the schoolbook officer of the Secretariat Department, and Emperor Shenzong appointed him as the censor of Jizhou, later promoted to the assistant secretary of the Ministry of Education. In the first year of the Shaosheng period (1094), Shanyue participated in the attack on the new policies in the Annals of Shenzhou by the old party led by Su Zhe and was demoted to the deputy director of Fu Prefecture and in Qianzhou. In the fourth year of the Shaosheng period, he was exiled again to Zhou. After Emperor Huizong ascended the throne, many of the old party were recalled, and he initially served as the magistrate of Taiping Prefecture. In the second year of the Chongning period, he was again exiled to Yizhou for slandering state affairs. He passed away in the fourth year of the Chongning period at the age of sixty-one. Huang Tingjian excelled in both poetry and prose, being known as the "Four Scholars" along with Zhang Lei, Chao Buzhi, and Qin Guan, and was also the founder of the Jiangxi School of Poetry. His calligraphy, along with Su Shi, Mi Fu, and Cai Xiang, was collectively known as the "Four Masters of the Song Dynasty." At the age of sixteen, he learned calligraphy from Zhou Yue, but after twenty years, he could not shake off his habits. Later, after observing the calligraphy of Su Shuyuan and Su Shuqin, he finally grasped the ancient brushwork. In the early years of the Yuanyou period, he traveled with Su Dongpo, further improving his calligraphy. After obtaining the genuine calligraphy of Zhang Xu, Huai Su, and Gao Xian, his brushwork reached perfection. In terms of form, Shanyue greatly admired the extraordinary, unrestrained, and expansive style of the Epitaph for the Stork. On his journey to Zhou, he saw a boatman rowing and rowing, and the men rowing, and suddenly realized the technique of reverse momentum and. Shanyue placed great importance on the concept of "rhythm" in calligraphy. His running script was influenced by the Wang family, capturing the essence while discarding the appearance, deeply mastering the secrets of the Lanting. His cursive script, learned from Zhang Xu and Huai Su, drew from various styles, eventually evolving a unique style characterized by unrestrained expansion, vigorous and unrestrained, eccentric and elegant, and profound and spirited. Especially his running script adopted a radiant structure, giving a grand and majestic artistic impression. Even his small running script, with its brushwork, exuded the energy of a hundred feet. In its dynamic and tilted form, it displayed an elegant posture, both sparse and dense. By his later years, he was in complete control, achieving a state of transcendent mastery. The Commentary on the Huaян Sū in this volume is a representative work of Huang Shanyue's running script. Written on silk, it remains vibrant and spirited despite being over a thousand years old. The entire scroll, with over a hundred characters, is executed in one breath, with precise and solid brushwork, undoubtedly an excellent model for learning Shanyue's running script. It is now published in photolithography for the appreciation and study of connoisseurs.