Four-Screen Series of Inscribed Stele Rubs in Clerical Script 《隶书集碑记四条屏》

Zhang Zuyi (1849–1917)
Zhang Zuyi, courtesy name Tixian and pseudonym Leian, was also known as Liangxi Zuoguan Laoren due to his residence in Wuxi. He was a native of Tongcheng, Anhui. From a young age, he had a deep passion for epigraphy and calligraphy, mastering various script forms. His works in regular and running scripts displayed a monumental quality, but his achievements in seal and clerical scripts surpassed those in cursive and running scripts. Zhang spent much of his life in Shanghai, where he became renowned alongside Wu Changshuo, Gao Yongzhi, and Wang Xun. Occasionally, he also painted orchids and bamboo, infusing them with artistic charm. Zhang was highly accomplished in the appraisal of calligraphy and inscriptions and amassed a significant collection, though the scattered nature of his materials has left modern research lacking. Among his published works are Leian Jinshi Bawei and Hanbei Fan.

“Four-Screen Series of Inscribed Stele Rubs in Clerical Script”
This set of four panels in clerical script showcases an extraordinary depth of power, with each stroke penetrating to the back of the paper and exuding a profound sense of antiquity. The brushwork is fluid and expansive, imbued with a dynamic rhythm that resembles birds in flight, full of vitality and grandeur. It exemplifies Zhang’s mastery, embodying the phrase “heavenly essence unfolding, with force and charm in full measure.” It is no wonder that critics regard Zhang Zuyi as the foremost practitioner of clerical script after Yang Xian.

张祖翼（1849—1917），字逖先，号磊盫，因曾寓居无锡，又号梁溪坐观老人，安徽桐城人。少时即好金石书法，诸体皆能，行、楷兼有碑意，篆隶成就高于行草。后长期寓居海上，与吴昌硕、高邕之、汪洵齐名。偶写兰竹，俱有韵致。他在书法、碑帖鉴定上颇有建树，收藏亦富，只是因资料散乱，当代研究尚缺乏。著有《磊盫金石跋尾》《汉碑范》等。

此件隶书四条屏气力沉纸背，笔笔古意浓厚，笔势灵动舒展，燕飞自如，生机盎然，尽显大家风范。所谓“天骨开张，力韵具足”真切地体现在纸上，无怪乎论者推为杨岘后隶书第一人。