Clear Fu Shan's writing of "Reminiscence of Danfeng Pavilion"

Author: Editorial Group of Selected Calligraphies from Ancient Inscriptions and Stele
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1985-12-01
Features: Fu Shan, originally named Ding Chen, styled Zhuqing, later changed his name to Shan, styled Qingzhu, also known as Renzhong. He had many aliases, see Ding Baoquan's Chronicle of Fu Shan. Fu Shan was born in the 35th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1607 AD) and died in the 23rd year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1684 AD), aged 78 (the Biographical Chronology of Famous Figures records him as dying at the age of 80). Fu Shan was a highly accomplished calligrapher in the early Qing Dynasty. His calligraphy was highly regarded by his contemporaries, and Zhao Qiugu praised him as a contemporary , with the reputation of being "unrestrained and unconventional, breaking away from the conventional path." In his early years, Fu Shan practiced after Zhao Mengfu, later switching to Wang Zhongjin. During the Shunzhi era, although he wanted to establish his own style, he found it difficult to completely shake off Wang's influence. When writing this book, Fu Shan was 53 years old, at the peak of his career, yet in the postscript, he referred to himself as "old man." However, in terms of his calligraphy itself, his running script and cursive script had already reached maturity, forming his own unique style. Fu Shan's calligraphy in this collection is bold and dynamic, with a powerful and imposing presence, upright and vigorous, yet unbroken. The upright strokes are like a long spear in battle, with massive rocks soaring into the air; the connected strokes are like iron wrapped in cotton, blending strength and flexibility. Cursive script is difficult to create tension and momentum, and even harder to transform danger into ease, and it is prone to being light and slippery. However, Fu Shan's brushwork is steady, with every stroke carefully controlled, ending with a sense of balance. The brushwork in this collection is bold and forceful, penetrating the paper, which is truly remarkable and reveals the depth of the author's skill.