Xian Yu Shu Zhang Yu - Chinese Calligraphy Collection (45)

Author: Liu Zhengcheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-08-01
Features: Includes numerous original rubbings and works with annotations.
Ziboji, styled Kuxue Shanmin, and also known as Jizhi Laoren, was a native of Yuyang (now Jixian County, Beijing). He served as the Grand Historian and was highly esteemed by Zhao Mengfu for his calligraphy. Zhao once said, "I studied cursive script with Ziboji, but he far surpassed me. I exhausted myself in pursuit of his skill but could never catch up. Ziboji has passed away, yet the world praises me for my calligraphy, as there is no Buddha to be called the supreme one." The two were jointly known as the "Two Masters of Calligraphy" during their time. His calligraphic achievements primarily lay in running script and cursive script. He learned cursive script from Huaisu while also developing his own unique style. His grip on the brush was distinctive, employing a unique wrist-turning technique; he preferred wolf-hair brushes and emphasized strength in his writing. Indeed, his running script and cursive script were robust and full of vigor, with a natural and unrestrained brushwork. His foundation was solid, and he wrote with the brush held high, displaying strong and vigorous power. Yuan Bao, a contemporary, said, "Kuxue Laoren excelled in wrist-turning, making his calligraphy round and strong. Some criticized him for relying too much on Tang Dynasty techniques. However, after knowing him for fifteen or sixteen years, I saw his work improve daily, surpassing ordinary calligraphy." (From Shulin Zaojian). The calligrapher Chen Xizeng also remarked, "Among the modern generation, only Xian Yu is skilled in high-wristed calligraphy. When I asked him, he widened his eyes and stretched his arms, saying, 'Courage! Courage! Courage!' This shows his bold spirit of innovation. His regular script is exemplified by The Return of Li Yuan to Pan Valley, now preserved in the Shanghai Museum. The brushwork is archaic, the structure meticulous, and the overall style grand. His running script includes self-composed poems like Praise in Large Characters and Cursive Script of Tang Poems, characterized by unrestrained brushwork and dynamic poses."
Zhang Yu (1277–1348), styled Boryu and known as Jiuqu Wai Shi, was a native of Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang). In his early years, he was named Zeyi and later Tianyu. At the age of twenty, he abandoned his family to become a Taoist priest, taking the Taoist name Sizhen and the title Zhengju Zi. He was erudite and knowledgeable, skilled in discussing philosophy. He excelled in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, with a style that was ethereal, elegant, and reminiscent of the Jin and Tang dynasties. His calligraphy initially learned from Zhao Mengfu but later drew inspiration from Li Yong and Huaisu. Ni Yunlin praised his poetry, calligraphy, and paintings as "the essence of Taoism." His extant calligraphic works include Poem on Mountain Life, Poem on Climbing Nan Peak, and Miscellaneous Poems Scroll, among others.