Seven Character Couplet in Clerical Script《隶书七言联》

Yu Yue (1821–1907)
Yu Yue, courtesy name Yinfu and pseudonym Quyuan Jushi, was from Deqing, Zhejiang. In the 30th year of the Daoguang reign (1850), he passed the imperial examination and served as the educational commissioner of Henan. However, he was dismissed from his post for allegedly distorting the meaning of the Confucian classics in exam questions. He then moved to Suzhou and dedicated himself to scholarly pursuits for over forty years. Yu’s scholarship focused on Confucian classics but also extended to various fields such as philosophy, history, philology, drama, poetry, fiction, and calligraphy. He was an esteemed master of Qing dynasty philology, with many students, including Zhang Taiyan, Wu Changshuo, and Inoue Chinsho from Japan, studying under him.

Yu Yue’s calligraphy was characterized by an ancient and unpretentious style, emphasizing spirit over technique and using a relaxed and natural brush. He often used worn-out brushes or cut-off brush tips to achieve a robust, stone-inscription-like quality in his writing, deeply embodying the spirit of Han and Wei dynasty inscriptions. As a highly learned scholar, his erudition contributed to the lasting fame of his calligraphy. This couplet, with its seemingly square and stable appearance, reveals powerful and vigorous strokes upon closer examination, exuding an inner strength.

Translation of couplet: “The precious cauldron’s fragrance retains the sleeping duck, On colored paper with ink, writing depicts the arriving bird.”

俞樾（1821—1907），字荫甫，号曲园居士，浙江德清人。道光三十年（1850）进士，曾任河南学政，因被劾奏“试题割裂经义”而罢官，遂移居苏州，潜心学术达四十余载。治学以经学为主，旁及诸子学、史学、训诂学，乃至戏曲、诗词、小说、书法等，可谓博大精深。国内外从学者甚众，章太炎、吴昌硕、日本井上陈政皆出其门下，为清末朴学大师。

俞樾书法崇古尚朴、轻技法重神采，用笔轻松自如。他用秃毫甚至剪掉笔尖的毛笔书写，以追求浑穆老辣的金石笔意，深得汉魏碑刻精神。作为一代饱学大儒，其学养是丰厚的，这也有利他的书法名扬后世。此联书法外表方正平稳，其实行笔铿锵有力，气力内蕴。

释文：宝鼎凝香留睡鸭， 彩笺和墨写来禽。