Section of Competition for Seats《节临争座位帖轴》

Qian Bokeng (1738–1812)
Qian Bokeng, courtesy name Lusi, pseudonyms Yupei and Pushe Shanqiao, was the nephew of the zhuangyuan (top scholar) and poet-painter Qian Weicheng, from Yanghu (present-day Changzhou), Jiangsu. He studied under Liu Da’an of the Tongcheng School and was a scholar at the Imperial Academy. Qian Bokeng was skilled in calligraphy, following the styles of Dong Qichang and Huang Tingjian, and tracing back to Li Yong and Yan Zhenqing, earning high regard at the time.

“Section of Competition for Seats” (1790)
This piece is a transcription of Yan Zhenqing’s “Competition for Seats,” originally in small running script, but Qian Bokeng enlarged the characters while transcribing, adjusting the brushwork and structure accordingly. The composition also incorporates the styles of Mi Fu and Huang Tingjian, with more weighty brushwork, creating a grand and extraordinary atmosphere.

钱伯坰（1738—1812）,字鲁斯，号渔陂、仆射山樵，状元、词臣画家钱维城之侄，江苏阳湖(今常州)人。受业于桐城派刘大樾，国子监生。工书，其书由董其昌、黄庭坚以追李邕、颜真卿，为时所重。

此件行书为节临颜真卿《争座位帖》，原本此帖为小行书，他临写时将其放大，故而用笔与结构也作了调整。整体又融合了米芾、黄庭坚笔意，用笔也更加凝重，气象宏大，格调不凡。