Small Regular Script Daodejing - Selected Masterpieces of Zhao Mengfu's Ink Traces 14

Author: Zhao Mengfu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-08-01
Features: In the third month of the third year of the Yuan Dynasty, at the age of sixty-three, Zhao Mengfu wrote this small-ink calligraphy version of the Dao De Jing for the esteemed scholar Jin Zhi. At the beginning of the scroll, Zhao included an image of Laozi, followed by the entire scroll of small-ink calligraphy of the Dao De Jing. The ink rubbing is on paper, measuring 245 mm in height and 6,188 mm in width, and is now preserved in the Palace Museum. Throughout his life, Zhao Mengfu wrote the Dao De Jing in small-ink calligraphy multiple times. According to expert evaluations, this late-career work, a lengthy five-thousand-character small-ink calligraphy, exhibits meticulous structure, precise brushwork, and a refined yet serene aura, balanced with stability and a subtle dynamism. The overall style remains consistent throughout, making it a masterpiece of his small-ink calligraphy. The header of this ink rubbing features the six large characters "Song Xue Writes the Dao De Jing" written by the renowned Ming Dynasty calligrapher Yao Shou. Before the Laozi image, there are two inscriptions by the contemporary master painter Zhang Daqian (see on the back cover). To facilitate readers in and practicing this ink rubbing, the full text of the Dao De Jing has been appended at the end.