Huang T'ing-chien, a native
of Kiangsi province, excelled at running and cursive script. His horizontally elongated
characters and slightly wavering strokes have a centered and powerful quality to them. His
direct and handsome style has an overall harmony and expressive quality that reveals the
beauty of brushwork done at an angle for a distinctive manner. Although his style appears
somewhat awkward, it actually reflects his mature and individual manner, which is quite
different from traditional formulae and in line with Sung standards of calligraphy. This
is even revealed in the unusual choice of subject matter for poetry--bitter bamboo shoots. Emperor Hui-tsung had the highest praise
for Huang, whose calligraphy had a major influence on the style of the period. He was one
of the "Four Masters of the Northern Sung." In this piece, the brushwork is strong and elongated in an expressive manner. These
features reflect the elegant harmony of his untrammeled and heroic manner.
This leaf is from the album
"Calligraphic Treasures of the Four Sung Masters."
|
