Other Calligraphy in National Palace Museum, part2

Welcome to the National Palace Museum's collection of calligraphy from the Song dynasty! Here, you can explore some of the most beautiful and intricate works of art from this period. You will find letter to Abbot Zhongfeng (As If in a Drunken Dream) by Zhao Mengfu, Regulated Verse in Seven Characters by Chang Yu, Poetry on the Baotu Waterfall by Chao Meng-fu, Poetry on the Wan-chieh Hall by Yang Wei-chen and Five-character Couplet in Seal Script by Ch'i Pai-shih. These pieces are all examples of the highest level of calligraphy from this time period, and they provide us with an insight into the lives and thoughts of these talented artists. Come take a look at these incredible artifacts today!

1. Letter to Abbot Zhongfeng (As If in a Drunken Dream)

Zhao Mengfu was a native of Wuxing in Zhejiang. He was recruited by and took up office under the following Yuan dynasty as a Hanlin Academician. He excelled at calligraphy as well as painting, becoming one of the most respected masters of his time and a leader of Yuan dynasty art circles. Zhao Mengfu (style name Ziang, sobriquet Songxue daoren) was a native of Wuxing in Zhejiang A scion of the Song imperial family, he was recruited by and took up office under the following Yuan dynasty as a Hanlin Academician He excelled at calligraphy as well as painting, becoming one of the most respected masters of his time and a leader of Yuan dynasty art circles This is a letter than Zhao Mengfu wrote to the high Buddhist monk Zhongfeng Mingben (1263-1323) The two had met during the Dade reign (1297-1307), and Zhao and his wife became his disciples In the Yanyou sixth year (1319), Zhao quit office and returned to the south, his wife falling ill and passing away in Shandong The album "Calligraphy of the Zhao Clan" in the National Palace Museum includes eleven letters by members of Zhao's family mostly asking Zhongfeng respectfully to lead funerary rites for Zhao's wife Each of the characters reveals personal feelings, this work being no exception The brushwork throughout is refined and written with concentrated spirit and archaic spirit harmony, falling squarely within the tradition of the Jin dynasty master

2. Regulated Verse in Seven Characters

Chang Yu was a Taoist who moved to Mao-shan at the age of 29. At the age of 59, he gave up life as a Taoist and became a Confucian scholar. Chang Yu helped pioneer a new chapter in the art of calligraphy and influenced other Yuan and later styles. TITLE: ORIGINAL_TEXT: SUMMARY: The calligraphy is full of twists and turns, rises and falls, and pauses and climaxes Said by Ming dynasty (1368-1644) writers to combine formal and informal elements from the styles of such calligraphers as Li Yung (678-747) and Huai-su (725-777), Chang's style is a dramatic departure from that of his contemporary Chao Meng-fu In fact, Chang once studied calligraphy under Chao, and his running and standard scripts clearly reveal Chao's influence This scroll, however, goes against traditional standards of beauty to reveal a wilder and bolder side The manner of Ou-yang Hsun is also sometimes seen, but the characters appear to have been composed as if in a drunken stupor Chang Yu helped pioneer a new chapter in the art of calligraphy and influenced other Yuan and later styles

3. Poetry on the Baotu Waterfall

Chao Meng-fu was a relative of the Sung imperial family and a native of Hu-chou (modern Wu-hsing, Chekiang). He served the following Yüan dynasty as an official in the Hanlin Academy. He was posthumously ennobled as the Duke of Wei and entitled Wen-min for his services, and he was also one of the most influential painters and calligraphers of his day, his style having a great impact on generations to come.

4. Poetry on the Wan-chieh Hall

Yang Wei-chen, a native of Kuei-chi, went by a variety of names, including the style name Lien-fu and sobriquet Tung-wei-tzu. He received his Presented Scholar civil service degree at the age of 31 and went on to serve as an official in T'ien-t'ai, also taking part in the compilation and editing of the official histories of the Liao, Chin, and Sung dynasties. Honest and straightforward by nature, he was slandered by other officials and eventually relieved of office.

5. Five-character Couplet in Seal Script

Ch'i Pai-shih originally went by the name Ch'un-chih, but later changed it to Huang. He also had the style name P'ing-sheng and the sobriquet Pai-shih.