Mi Fu Running Script Collection of Tang Poetry

Author: Yu Kuiying (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-08
Features: Chinese calligraphy and ancient poetry are precious legacies of the Chinese nation, possessing extremely high aesthetic value and being deeply loved by the broad masses. Writing and appreciating works that combine poetry and calligraphy can bring double aesthetic enjoyment. Mi Fu (1051–1107 AD), styled Yuanzhang, was a calligrapher and painter of the Northern Song Dynasty, skilled in poetry, painting, and connoisseurship. His calligraphy features heavy and profound brushwork, bold and unrestrained elegance, rich variations in strokes, and each stroke being distinct. In the same characters, the weight, direction, turns, and starts of the brushwork rarely repeat, captivating the eye and never tiring the viewer. The composition of his characters is dynamic and unpredictable, full of changes, seeking stability amidst risk, with a that arises from the characters themselves, inspiring and invigorating. When writing, he was bold and independent, yet adhered to the rules, demonstrating exceptional calligraphic prowess. Later calligraphers have extensively studied Mi Fu's style, not only learning his techniques but also his spirit of learning from the ancients without rigidly adhering to tradition, and his innovative approach. "Mi Fu Running Script Collection of Tang Poems" was compiled to meet the needs of people learning and appreciating calligraphy and poetry. The poems were selected from the works of numerous Tang Dynasty poets, showcasing strong artistic expression and reflecting the poets' thoughts, emotions, and intellectual talents. The calligraphy was chosen from Mi Fu's works in collections such as "Poetry from the Shaoxi Stream," "Qunyu Hall Mi Collection," "Three Rare Treasures Hall," and "Mi Fu's Letter Collection," presenting a comprehensive view of his running script. The titles of the poems and the names of the poets were written by the compiler. This collection includes 49 poems, combining poetry and calligraphy, with characters collected according to the content of each poem. Each collected poem also includes simplified character equivalents. An introduction is appended, discussing Mi Fu's brushwork, composition, and layout in his running script, providing reference material for beginners in calligraphy.