北宋

Northern Song Dynasty

The Northern Song valued civil culture and scholar-official expression, and calligraphy emphasized personality, learning, and brushwork spirit. Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, and others opened new ground through a style centered on expressive intent.

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Northern Song Dynasty

Emperor Huizong of Song: Nongfang Poem

Nongfang Poem is a five-character regulated poem written by Emperor Huizong of Song in his Slender Gold style. Now held in the National Palace Museum in Taipei, it is a large-character work on silk in twenty lines, with two characters per line and forty characters in total. The style is highly distinctive: fine and resilient like silver hooks and iron strokes, yet with a sense of fullness within its lean strength. A colophon by Chen Bangyan appears after the scroll. Emperor Huizong possessed exceptional artistic talent and was deeply accomplished in poetry, painting, calligraphy, music, and theatre. His calligraphy drew from Huang Tingjian of the Song and Xue Ji of the Tang, developing into the sharp, elegant style known as Slender Gold. Its structure is tightly gathered at the center and opened outward, with balanced forms, light pressing and firm finishing strokes, crisp pauses and turns, and an airy, refined quality that reveals the unique character of Slender Gold script.

Northern Song Dynasty

Yue Fei: Return My Rivers and Mountains

Although the four characters ?Return My Rivers and Mountains? are commonly regarded as Yue Fei?s handwriting, reports suggest that they were not written directly by Yue Fei himself. After the September 18 Incident in 1931 and the fall of Northeast China, Zhou Chengzhong, a philologist from Jiading, Jiangsu, is said to have assembled the characters from a rubbing of Li Hua?s Lament for an Ancient Battlefield, traditionally attributed to Yue Fei?s hand. The brushwork combines awkwardness and skill, with the awkward quality prevailing over deliberate polish. Its arrangement feels natural, with spacing that shifts freely between openness and density. The strokes turn and coil like cursive script while retaining a disciplined regularity. Each character seems governed by method, yet also beyond method, using rules freely and personally. The result is expansive, spirited, and full of the bearing of a Confucian general.

Northern Song Dynasty

Mi Fu: Yanshan Inscription

Yanshan Inscription is associated with Mi Fu, one of the Four Great Masters of Song calligraphy. Mi Fu?s writing is admired for its lively movement, shifting rhythm, and expressive individuality. This work displays a free and spirited brush manner, with characters that vary in size, density, and momentum. The result is a vivid example of Mi Fu?s calligraphic personality: elegant, unconventional, and full of motion.

Northern Song Dynasty

Huang Tingjian: Seven-Character Regulated Verse

Seven-Character Regulated Verse shows Huang Tingjian?s distinctive calligraphic language in a poetic format. The brushwork is upright, expansive, and rhythmically varied, with characters that often extend vertically and turn with deliberate force. Huang?s style transforms the regular order of verse into a dynamic visual structure, balancing scholarly refinement with bold personal expression.

Northern Song Dynasty

Huang Tingjian: Songfeng Pavilion

Songfeng Pavilion is associated with Huang Tingjian, one of the Four Great Masters of Song calligraphy. Huang?s calligraphy is known for its elongated structure, forceful turns, and distinctive rhythm. The characters in this work stretch and gather with strong internal energy, creating a sense of height, movement, and tension. Its brushwork is elegant yet powerful, showing Huang Tingjian?s highly personal approach to structure and line.

Northern Song Dynasty

Su Shi: Cold Food Observance

Cold Food Observance is one of Su Shi?s most admired calligraphic works. Written during his exile in Huangzhou, it records the emotions of hardship, reflection, and resilience. The brushwork shifts between restraint and release, with lines that are sometimes heavy and condensed, sometimes flowing and free. The composition has a strong emotional pulse, making it a landmark example of Song dynasty running script and one of the great masterpieces in the history of Chinese calligraphy.

Northern Song Dynasty

Su Shi: Remembering Red Cliff

Remembering Red Cliff is based on Su Shi?s famous ci poem, one of the best-known literary works of the Northern Song. The stele combines poetry, calligraphy, and carved stone into a single visual tribute to Su Shi?s artistic world. Its brushwork is steady and dignified, with a strong sense of rhythm and weight. The composition reflects the grandeur of the poem, evoking history, landscape, and the emotional depth of Su Shi?s writing.

Northern Song Dynasty

Su Shi: Record of the Old Drunkard Pavilion

Record of the Old Drunkard Pavilion written by Su Shi presents the celebrated prose text of Ouyang Xiu in Su Shi?s calligraphic style. Su Shi was one of the Four Great Masters of Song calligraphy, and his writing is known for its broad structure, strong spirit, and natural ease. The brushwork in this stele is open and vigorous, moving with a relaxed but powerful rhythm. It conveys both literary elegance and the expansive personality of Su Shi?s running script.

Northern Song Dynasty

Cai Xiang: Self-Written Poems

Self-Written Poems is a handscroll written by Cai Xiang of the Northern Song dynasty. Cai Xiang was one of the Four Great Masters of Song calligraphy. His running script is refined, upright, and elegant, combining a disciplined structure with a gentle, fluent rhythm. This work shows his steady brush control and graceful movement, with characters that are calm, balanced, and richly expressive. It reflects the Song literati taste for clarity, restraint, and cultivated personal expression.

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