Yan Zhen-Qing(709-785)grew at the peak of the development of calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty, and he is good at writing semi-cursive script.
This thesis focuses on “semi-cursive script ink on paper of Yan Zhen-Q'ing's name” as the research theme. The three works of “Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew”, “Imperial Commissioner Liu Letter”, and “Huzhou Manuscript”are the main objects of investigation. They are first investigated individually, and then compared with each other which is the main research topic of this thesis.
This thesis is divided into six chapters.Chapter 1 is the preface. Chapter 2 till 5 are comprehensive discussions on “Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew”, “Imperial Commissioner Liu Letter”, and “Huzhou Manuscript” respectively. Above three chapters are divided into five sub-sections, namely “writing background and time”, “writing content and process”, “mount and circulation”, “calligraphy performance analysis”, and “evaluation and influence”. Chapter 5 “Comparison of the three works” continues the cross-comparison after analyzing the performance of calligraphy in each chapter. It is still divided into three points: “stippling and brushwork”, “font and structure”, and “ink and composition”. Chapter 6 is the conclusion.
Despite Yan Zhen-Qing added to and deleted from the text of “Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew”, the brushwork is frank and revealing in his emotions throughout which is praised as the “second best work of running script under the Heavens.” However, the inconsistency between the front and back of the aya cloth (a new discovery) and the "twins case" in the Ming Dynasty have added some mystery and are worth exploring.
“Imperial Commissioner Liu Letter” was written in large semi-cursive script on blue note paper, the brush strokes particularly smart to form a unique style, therefore making them look as powerful as thunderbolts dashing across the paper, this is considered a treasure of Yan Zhen-Q’ing’s calligraphy along with “Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew.”
Although “Huzhou Manuscript” is not Yan Zhen-Q'ing's work, but it can allow future generations to further establish the fascination and preciousness of Yan's Tendons.
In this thesis, based on the investigation of three related issues on “semi-cursive script ink on paper of Yan Zhen-Q'ing's name”, we hope to have a more comprehensive review of Yan Zhen-Q'ing's calligraphy style and trace the importance of Yan's calligraphy in the history of calligraphy.