Hua Shikui's Inscription for the Stele Commemorating the Two Heroic Women

Author: Hu Shi-kui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Hu Shi-kui was a scholar during the Guangxu era and served as an Inner Court Secretary and Censor-in-Chief in the Imperial Secretariat. After the Xinhai Revolution, he retired from official life and made a living by selling calligraphy. He was skilled in calligraphy, studying under Yan Zhenqing, whose style was grand in spirit and powerful in structure. With a deep understanding of ancient calligraphy, he infused ingenuity into simplicity by drawing inspiration from the thick strokes of seal and clerical scripts, the bone structure and force of Qian Nanquan, the form and tremble strokes of Su Dongpo's cursive script. This formed an artistic style characterized by sturdy yet round structures, with bold yet refined brushwork, exuding a simplicity that hides elegance. He is known as one of the "Four Great Calligraphers of Tianjin" alongside Meng Guanghui, Yan Xiu, and Zhao Yuanli. The calligraphy works in this book feature powerful brushwork, with strokes as heavy as a thousand pounds. The flexed strokes resemble towering pines and cypresses, upright and robust. Both the starting and ending strokes are executed with the central axis, seeking both precision and flexibility within the rules. Neither too thick nor too thin, they handle heavy weights as if they were light, transforming with grace. Simplicity hides ingenuity, and ingenuity is again infused with simplicity, exuding a scholarly aura.