Su Shi's Selected Calligraphy Works Throughout History - Correspondence Collection

Author: Jiang Yin / Mo Xiaobu (editors)
Publisher: Xiling Press
Publication Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Su Shi (1037-1101), Northern Song Dynasty, styled Zizhan, styled Dongpo Jushi, from Meishan (now Meishan County, Sichuan Province). A great literary figure, connoisseur, and calligrapher of the Northern Song Dynasty. He passed the imperial examination in the second year of Jiayou (1057) and rose to the position of Academician of the Dongming Hall and Vice Minister of Rites. His father, Su Xun, and younger brother, Su Zhe, were renowned for their writings and are collectively known as the "Three Su." In his youth, his mother taught him reading, and he could discuss the successes and failures of the past and present, grasping their essence. Upon reaching adulthood, he became knowledgeable in classics and history, with outstanding talent. His writings were as effortless as flowing clouds and as abundant as gushing springs, numbering thousands of words daily. His poems were fresh, vigorous, and full of vitality, opening up new perspectives. His ci (lyric poetry) swept away the ornate style of the time, being bold, unrestrained, and pioneering the bold and unrestrained school, becoming the founder of the "Su Xin Ci School" and having a profound influence on later generations. His calligraphy formed its own style and was one of the "Four Great Calligraphers of the Song Dynasty." His paintings excelled in bamboo, rocks, and withered trees. In painting bamboo, he learned from Wen Tong, capturing its essence perfectly. He even created a new style of red and black bamboo, which became a model for later generations. His painted branches and trunks were twisted and unending, his rock textures rugged and hard, reflecting the turmoil in his heart. His landscape paintings featured sparse bamboos, broken mountains, and desolate forests, with dynamic brushwork. He once painted a Mihé (a Bodhisattva) for Qin Guan, with an extraordinary and ancient brushwork. His artistic theory and creations pioneered the literati painting tradition, making him the founder of the literati painting school. Su Shi was upright, open-minded, and had high moral integrity, showing sympathy for the people's suffering. During his tenure, he reformed local policies, earning praise from the people. Although he had grand political ambitions, his career was fraught with setbacks. He suffered attacks from both the New and Old Parties, unjust imprisonment, and exile. These hardships deepened his understanding of social contradictions and the people's suffering, strengthening his love for his country. He authored works such as "The Complete Collection of Dongpo," among others. After his death, he was posthumously honored as Wen Zhong. His surviving works include the scroll "Ancient Trees and Strange Rocks" and the scroll "Withered Trees and Bamboo," both housed in the Shanghai Museum, and the scroll "Bamboo and Rocks" in the National Art Museum of China. The works published in this volume are all preserved in the Palace Museum, Taipei, and are all calligraphy. This type of calligraphy appears effortless, yet the overall composition is naturally varied. The brushwork is precise yet unrestrained, and the beauty is natural, not contrived—everything exists between method and methodlessness. The author's erudition and talent are vividly expressed through his brushwork, connecting with the loose and natural style of the calligraphy of the Jin Dynasty scholars. Additionally, according to the "Appreciation of Calligraphy in the Treasure Hall of Baozhen" by Song Yu Ke, Su Shi approached the creation of his letters with great seriousness, and if there was any slight imperfection, he would rewrite it. It is precisely because Su Shi placed great importance on the art of calligraphy in letters that his style stands out, earning widespread admiration and praise from later generations.