One of the Four Great Masters of Regular Script — Yan Zhenqing
Yan Zhenqing is the most accomplished and influential calligrapher after Wang Xizhi. His running‑cursive works embody the master’s poise, forcefulness, boldness and unrestrained spirit. In the history of calligraphy, Yan Zhenqing established a unique artistic realm with his Yan‑style calligraphy.
Lord Yan Lu’s calligraphy is rooted in extraordinary spiritual insight, yielding magnificent aesthetic vision; forged by his unyielding inner soul, resulting in robust and vigorous momentum; and nurtured by his eventful life, bringing forth broad‑minded grandeur. In his later years, he strove for consummate, transcendent artistic perfection. His Yan‑style stands towering in the world of calligraphy.
Representative Works: His surviving masterpieces include numerous stone inscriptions such as Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew, Plea for Position, and Magu Stele. Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew is a draft composed by Yan Zhenqing of the Tang Dynasty in memory of his nephew Yan Jiming. Written spontaneously without pursuit of formal polish, it frequently features dry‑brush strokes, and is hailed as the Second Greatest Running Script under Heaven.
Article Illustration‑1 Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew by Yan Zhenqing
Composed under overwhelming grief and indignation, Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew pays no heed to refined brushwork. Characters rise and fall with the calligrapher’s emotions, a spontaneous outpouring of his inner spirit and lifelong mastery. Such works are rare throughout the history of calligraphy. It ranks among the most precious original ink manuscripts, possessing immense historical‑documentary and artistic value.