Yan Zhenqing was a famous calligrapher and official minister in the Tang Dynasty. Some people think that Yan Zhenqing is a heretic in the history of Chinese calligraphy. He created a new genre, and his work "The Manuscript of Sacrifice to Nephew" was called "The Second Running Script in the World" and was praised by calligraphers of all ages. Up to now, this work is still praised by most calligraphers.
In the early days, Yan Zhenqing’s master was Zhang Xu, who was also a famous calligrapher. During his studies, Yan Zhenqing integrated all Zhang Xu's advantages into his own understanding and applied them to his own creations. Later, it formed its own unique genre. His calligraphy could not be imitated by others, so "Yan Ti" was later formed. Yan Zhenqing's "Manuscript of Sacrifice to My Nephew" is considered to be the second best running script in the world, second only to Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface", which shows the high artistic value of Yan Zhenqing. Why did Yan Zhenqing's "Manuscript of Sacrifice to My Nephew" achieve such great success? There are mainly the following reasons.
Before Yan Zhenqing wrote the second running script in the world, his calligraphy style was mostly elegant. One of the most important characteristics of his calligraphy is "strong". You can see from his calligraphy that he is a "tough guy". ? character. Therefore, Yan Zhenqing's personality traits and toughness are also reflected in "The Manuscript of Sacrifice to Nephew". Relating to the era when Yan Zhenqing lived at that time, the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty and the high cultural and economic prosperity were the hotbed of this era that created the achievements of cursive script. It was also this era that allowed calligraphers and painters to freely develop their own personalities.
We all know the creative background of "The Manuscript of Memorial to My Nephew". It was written by Yan Zhenqing in memory of his nephew, who was killed while defending the country and fighting against the rebels. Therefore, when Yan Zhenqing wrote this work, he not only missed his deceased nephew but also missed his family. The expression of hatred for the country. Yan Zhenqing wrote this manuscript with such emotions. The true expression of emotions cannot be surpassed by many works. In the work, we can see several incorrect corrections and ink marks, which are also the expression of Yan Zhenqing's true emotions.