Sun Guoting's Shupu - Selection of Ink Rubbings by Famous Artists of Past Generations (9)

Author: Sun Guoting
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Sun Guoting, styled Qianli, was a native of Wu Jun during the Tang Dynasty. He came from humble origins but was erudite and renowned for his literary talent. He studied calligraphy under the Wang family (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi) and excelled particularly in cursive script. In the third year of the Chui Gong era (690 AD) of the Tang Dynasty, he wrote the "Shupu" (Book of Calligraphy). This lengthy treatise is written in magnificent prose and presents insightful arguments, making it an outstanding work of calligraphic theory. His cursive script, with its flowing brushwork and dynamic forms, has been praised by later generations as a twin treasure in the history of calligraphy. The famous Song Dynasty calligrapher Mi Fu remarked, "Among all Tang Dynasty cursive scripts that inherit the methods of the Wang family, none surpasses his." The "Continuation of Calligraphic Critiques" states, "Guoting's cursive script resembles a crimson cliff in a secluded gorge, with a forceful and vigorous brushstroke." Sun Chengze of the Qing Dynasty praised, "The Shupu is natural and elegant, with unrestrained brushwork that wanders freely yet achieves perfect harmony, embodying the essence of Tang Dynasty's masterful brushwork." The "Shupu" is in paper form, measuring 272 mm in height and nearly 700 cm in width. It was collected by connoisseurs of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties and is now housed in the Taipei Palace Museum.