Su Shi's Regular Script

Author: Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1996-08-01
Features: Brief Introduction to Su Shi and His Calligraphy Su Shi (2036–1101, another account: 1037–1101), a Northern Song Dynasty litterateur, calligrapher, and painter. His courtesy name was Zizhan, also known as Hezhong, and he was styled Dongpo, often referred to as the Great Su. He was exceptionally intelligent from a young age and, under the guidance of his father Su Tao and his mother Cheng Shi, knew books by the age of seven and could write by the age of ten. In his youth, he was knowledgeable and had a strong memory, well-versed in classics and history, and could write thousands of words in a single day, truly a literary and historical prodigy. In 1057, at the age of twenty-one, Su Shi took the imperial examination at the Ministry of Rites and ranked second, and also topped the "Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals" section. He ultimately passed the palace examination in the third rank. From then on, he entered the official career and held positions such as Academician of the Endymion Hall, Attending Scholar of the Hanlin Academy, Academician of the Dragon Diagram Pavilion, and Chief Censor, Secretary of the Chancellery, Minister of War, and Minister of Rites. However, amid the complex and unpredictable political conflicts at the top of the hierarchy, he spent fewer years in the capital and was more frequently transferred to posts outside. He served as a local official in places such as Hangzhou, Mizhou, Xuzhou, Hucheng, Runzhou, Yingzhou, Dengzhou, Yangzhou, and Dingzhou. In 1008, he was exiled to Huangzhou (now Huanggang, Hubei) as a Vice Military Commissioner and built a residence on Dongpo, hence taking the name Dongpo Jushi. In his later years, he was further exiled due to factional disputes, moving from Yingzhou and Huizhou to the remote coastal area of Dian'er (now Dan County, Hainan Province). In 1100, when Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) ascended the throne, he was pardoned and returned north. He died of illness on July 1, 1101, in Changzhou (now Changzhou, Jiangsu), at the age of sixty-five, and was buried on Mount Xiaomei in Jia County, Henan.
Su Shi excelled in running script and regular script calligraphy, drawing inspiration from Li Yong, Xu Hao, Yan Zhenqing, and Yang Ningshi while also innovating independently. His brushwork was rich and dynamic, with an innocent and carefree charm. He was ranked alongside Cai Xiang, Huang Tingjian, and Mi Fu as one of the "Four Great Calligraphers of the Song Dynasty." Su Shi was one of the masters whom Grand Master Li Kuchan deeply admired throughout his life. Grand Master Li Kuchan once said that those who specialize solely in calligraphy often lack refinement, as they fail to understand the principle that "calligraphy reflects the person." The root of this lies in the lack of comprehensive cultivation that nourishes their art. Ironically, some "amateur calligraphers" became great calligraphers! Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi, Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan, Ou Yangxun, and others were all like this, with Su Shi being the most typical example. He said that Dongpo was originally a government official and had a turbulent career throughout his life, not being an expert in any single field. Yet, in everything he touched, he achieved remarkable success because he was a "generalist" who combined breadth with specialization, becoming a versatile and insightful figure. Grand Master Li Kuchan believed: As an official, Dongpo left a legacy of achievements; as a writer, he became an unparalleled literary giant; as a poet and lyricist, he became a timeless poet and lyricist; as a painter, he became the master of literati painting in art history; as a painter, his insights became classic art theory passed down through generations; as a Zen practitioner, his spiritual traces in Zen were preserved; as a tea connoisseur, he achieved the lofty state of "cool breezes on both sides" and "aspiring to the heavens"; as a wine enthusiast, his "Wine Treatise" was listed among the essential texts of wine history; and as a martial artist, his "Discourse on Health" was recorded in the annals of health cultivation. With such profound cultivation flowing through his brush, his calligraphy naturally became elegant.
In his self-assessment "Commentary on My Writing," Su Shi wrote, "My writing is like a thousand-watt spring source, flowing everywhere. On flat ground, it flows endlessly, as if it could cover a thousand miles in a day without difficulty. When it encounters mountains and rocks, it twists and turns along with the scenery, taking on forms that are beyond prediction. What can be known is that it moves where it should and stops where it cannot. That is all! As for the rest, even I do not know." In fact, observing Su Shi's calligraphy, one can see that the principle is the same as his writing. The "Divine Stele of Sima Wen Gong," introduced to readers here, was written when Su Shi was fifty-three years old. Grand Master Li Kuchan inscribed a preface to praise it, stating, "Su Shi's regular script calligraphy is the best in this piece." If readers can further appreciate the intrinsic connection between technique, aesthetic concepts, and the author's cultivation through the practice and appreciation of this piece, then our purpose in publishing it will have been achieved. Li Yan (Zhuangbei) January 1996, Zen and Yi Pavilion, Beijing.