Yan Yuan’s Words in Running Script《行书颜渊语轴》

Yisun Yang (1813–1881)
Yisun Yang, courtesy name Ziyu, and pseudonym Yongchun, also known as Haoguan, Haosu, and Guanhao Jushi, was from Tianzhuang, Changshu (present-day Zhangjiagang), Jiangsu. Coming from a scholarly family, Yang was diligent from an early age. He studied under the “Yanghu Literature School” representative Li Zhaoluo, focusing on classical texts, especially “Guanzi” and “Zhuangzi.” He passed the provincial examination in the 23rd year of Daoguang (1843) and was appointed magistrate of Tongling, Anhui, in the third year of Xianfeng (1853). Although he could not take office due to the Taiping Rebellion, he later assisted the Governors of Anhui and Jiangxi in military affairs, earning a promotion to Prefect of Fengyang. At the age of fifty-six, he resigned from office to mourn his father and never returned to official duties, devoting himself to scholarship and calligraphy. In his sixties, he settled in Hualing (present-day Qianshan, Anhui), earning a living through his art.

“Yan Yuan’s Words in Running Script”
Yisun Yang was also skilled in regular and running script calligraphy. Although not as accomplished as his seal script, his aesthetics and brushwork in regular and running scripts were deeply influenced by his seal script, sharing the same spirit. This work shows that his running-regular script foundation comes from Chu Suiliang and Yun Shouping, but with hidden brushstrokes and slower execution, resulting in thick and substantial strokes. Unlike the light and lively style of Chu and Yun, Yang’s script has the rounded and solid feel of seal script. His ink variations, as in his seal script, feature sudden speed increases during brushstrokes, breaking the monotony of thick ink with “flying white” techniques, giving the work a high level of elegance.

杨沂孙（1813—1881），字子舆，号詠春，晚署濠观、濠叟、观濠居士等，常熟恬庄（今属江苏张家港）人。其家世业儒，杨沂孙自幼好学，少时师从常州“阳湖文派”代表学者李兆洛，攻习诸子和小学，尤喜《管子》《庄子》。道光二十三年（1843）中举人，咸丰三年（1853）授安徽铜陵知县，调黟山知县，因太平天国运动未能到任。后曾佐安徽巡抚福济、江西巡抚张芾军务，以功擢升凤阳知府。同治七年（1868）五十六岁时丁父忧，服阙后遂辞官不出，专于学术与书艺。六十岁后定居皖城（今安徽潜山），以鬻艺为生。

杨沂孙亦擅楷书、行书，虽成就不及篆书，但审美和用笔习惯深受其篆书的影响，二者精神内质是一致的。从此作可以看出他的行楷应从褚遂良、恽寿平筑基，但用笔以藏锋为之，行笔稍慢，点画沉厚，不似褚、恽那样灵秀飞动，而是有着篆书那样的圆浑之感。其墨色变化亦如其篆书，在行笔过程中喜突然加快速度，以飞白破除厚重笔墨的单调与沉闷感，格调很高。