Su Shi, courtesy name Zizhan, also known as Dongpo Jushi, was a native of Meishan (now part of Sichuan). He, his father Su Xun, and his younger brother Su Zhe are famous for their poetry and prose, and are known as the "Three Sus" in the world. His calligraphy absorbed nutrients from the "Two Kings", Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan, Chu Suiliang, Xu Hao, Li Beihai, and Yang Ningshi, and worked hard to innovate on the basis of inheriting the tradition. When he talked about his calligraphy, he said: "The method of writing calligraphy requires limited knowledge and limited knowledge. In the end, the three cannot be perfect. I have both mind, eye and hand." When he talked about his calligraphy art creation process, he said: "I calligraphy There is no way to create what you want, so the dots and paintings can be made by hand." He focused on writing "meaning" and expressed his feelings in the dots and paintings written by "hands of hand". He uses traditional techniques to create calligraphy art based on his profound understanding of calligraphy art. He enriches and develops traditional techniques in the creation of calligraphy art, rather than simply imitating ancient calligraphy mechanically.
Su Shi studied the "Two Kings" in his early years, Yan Zhenqing and Yang Ningshi in his middle age, and Li Beihai in his later years. He also extensively studied other calligraphers of the Jin and Tang Dynasties, forming a deep and simple style. His calligraphy uses more sideways strokes, and the structure is flat and slightly fat. This is also closely related to the posture in which he holds the pen. Su Shi wrote as a "lying pen", that is, the brush lies on its side between the tiger's mouth, similar to the current posture of holding a pen, so his characters are slanted to the right and flat.
Huang Tingjian divided Su Shi's calligraphy into three periods: early, middle and late: charming in his early years, round and energetic in his middle years, and calm in his later years. The early representative work is "Zhi Ping Tie", with exquisite brushwork and charming handwriting. The representative work of middle-aged people is "Huangzhou Cold Food Poems". These poems are two poems written by Su Shi in the fifth year of Yuanfeng (1082) when he was demoted to Huangzhou due to the Wutai Poetry Case. The poems are melancholy and desolate yet broad-minded, and the calligraphy brushes and ink colors also change with the changes in the context of the poems, with ups and downs, extraordinary momentum and completeness in one go, reaching an almost perfect state of "smooth heart and hand". Therefore, Yu Shu of the Yuan Dynasty called it "the third running script in the world" after Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface" and Yan Zhenqing's "Nephew Sacrifice Manuscript". His representative works in his later years include the running script "Ode to Spring in Dongting" and "Ode to Zhongshan Pine Mash". These two poems are distinguished by their ancient elegance, various gestures and tight structure, which reflect the "short and fat" characteristics of Su Shi's calligraphy. His latest ink mark should be "A Paper with Xie Minshi" (1100). Su Shi's calligraphy was highly praised by later generations. The person who has the most say is Huang Tingjian. He said in "Valley Collection" that "those who are good at calligraphy in this dynasty should naturally recommend (Su) as the first."
Su Shi's calligraphy focuses on writing "meaning" and following his own path. Huang Tingjian, one of the "Four Scholars of the Soviet Union", said, "His writing is beautiful... When he is drunk and dissolute, he forgets about his craftsmanship, and his handwriting is particularly thin and strong... As for his writing style, which is round and rhymed, he can use his articles to enlighten the world, and his loyalty runs through the sun and the moon. The Qi of this dynasty's good books should be ranked first." The charm can be said to be the greatest feature of his calligraphy. Dong Qichang of the Ming Dynasty even praised him for "using the full front, which is the Orchid Pavilion of Po Gong". The beauty of Su's calligraphy is said to be "the beauty lies in the hidden edge", "the strength of the ancient Tao", "the body is solemn and peaceful, the atmosphere is graceful", "the skill is hidden in the clumsy", and it is the style of a master who is "powerful and full of spirit". And his theory of calligraphy and allegorical meanings are even more incisive, which is not only seen directly by the current generation, but also serves as a model for future generations.
"Huangzhou Cold Food Poems" is the representative work of Su Shi's running script. This is a poem of joy and excitement, which is the sigh of life written by Su Shi on the Cold Food Festival in the third year after he was demoted to Huangzhou. The poem is desolate and sentimental, expressing Su Shi's melancholy and loneliness at this time. The calligraphy of this poem was inspired by this mood and situation. The calligraphy throughout the text is full of ups and downs, radiant and unrestrained, without any rash strokes. "Huangzhou Cold Food Poems" has a great influence on the history of calligraphy. It is called "the third running script in the world" and is also the best among Su Shi's calligraphy works. As Huang Tingjian wrote after this poem: "This book combines the writing style of Yan Lugong, Yang Shaoshi, and Li Xitai. Trying to restore Dongpo to it may not be as good as this.
The hazy images in the poem are like huts, Empty restaurants, black paper, and graves... create a gloomy and melancholy mood, expressing the author's gloomy and depressing state of mind when he was exiled to Huangzhou due to bad luck. Mood. The poem is desolate and melancholy, and the calligraphy is inspired by this mood and situation. The whole poem is ups and downs, fast and steady, and full of joy. Su Shi embodies the changes in mood and emotion in the poem. In the changes of the lines, they are either front or side, changing and disconnecting smoothly, and their knots are also strange, big or small, sparse or dense, light or heavy, wide or narrow. It's uneven, random, and ever-changing.
"Huangzhou Cold Food Poems" is the best of Su Shi's calligraphy works and has a great influence on the history of calligraphy. Yu Shu of the Yuan Dynasty called it "the third running script in the world" after Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface" and Yan Zhenqing's "Nephew Memorial Manuscript" ".
"Ode to Spring Colors in Dongting" and "Ode to Zhongshan Pine Mash" were both written and written by Su Shi. The former was written in the winter of 1091 AD, and the latter was written in 1093 AD. They were written by Su Shi in his later years. Su Shi was demoted to Lingnan. On the way, he encountered heavy rain and stayed in Xiangyi (now Suixian County, Henan Province). He wrote these two poems to express his feelings. The title says: "In the first year of Shaosheng's reign (1094), on the 21st of the leap month of April, I was about to reach Lingbiao. When it rained heavily, I stayed in Xiangyi and wrote this." He was fifty-nine years old at that time.
At this time, Su Shi's writing was more mature and vigorous, with extremely tight knotting, leisurely and elegant mood, odd and appropriate, and a mixture of grace and beauty. It concentratedly reflects the characteristics of Su Shi's calligraphy of "short and fat". Qianlong once commented: "The essence is full of richness in the pavilion, with richness from beginning to end, which is rare in Xin Dongpo's books." Zhang Xiaosi of the Ming Dynasty said: "These two Fus are carefully written, with a neat structure, a magnificent spirit, and a lingering atmosphere." The postures are like a lion crouching and a tiger squatting. "Wang Shizhen said: "This is not only elegant, but also has various postures, and the structure is precise and there is no mishandling. It is the best in Meishan. Yes."