北宋古文運動領袖歐陽脩、蘇軾創作大量題跋，並在蘇門文人推波助瀾下，帶動宋人題跋書寫風氣。宋人題跋內容駁雜，雖非隨事命名，卻不拘一體，無論議論、敘事、記人、寫物皆可，具有雜文特色，亦體現古文運動對散文文體之解放。又題跋從品評文藝，涉及人物品藻，擴充至自然山水、日常器物等等，呈現文人私領域的豐富面向，流露宋代文人的性情風度、生活意趣，尚具小品性質。題跋為唐宋古文的新體文字，其吸取魏晉六朝的品藻美學，又遙啟晚明小品，其文體新變的意義不應忽視。

Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi were the pioneers of the classical prose movement in the North-Song Dynasty. They created abundant inscriptive writings, under the encouragement of Su's scholars; these writings became a trend in that period. The contents are varied; its names can be given without considering the texts. However, its styles/themes are free, for instance, issues, narrations, portraits and descriptions of articles, all present characteristics of essays. It was a revolution in prose. The inscriptive writings comment on literature/art, portraits, landscapes and daily utensils. There are bountiful private relations of scholars that reveal their dispositions, manners and life aspects. New characters are inscribed on writings which adopt the aesthetics of the Wei Jin Period and the Six Dynasties, and inspired the writings of essay of the late Ming Dynasty. The significance of new prose style cannot be neglected.