拍品专文
Xianyu Shu, who was a native of Yuyang in Hebei province, was a noted and influential connoisseur, collector and calligrapher. He served the Mongol court in a number of clerical positions and was finally promoted to Registrar of the Board of Rites shortly before his death.
Together with his close friend, the famous painter and calligrapher Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), Xianyu Shu helped foster a cultural revival during the Yuan dynasty and renew the importance of ancient artistic models. His studio in Hangzhou, the Kunxue Zhai ("Studio of Learning after Painful Ignorance"), became a frequent meeting place for the literary groups of the day.
Xianyu Shu himself collected and intently studied the works of ancient calligraphers, especially those of the Jin and Tang dynasties. He was particularly talented in running and cursive scripts and brought to his writing a strength and energy in keeping with the northern artistic tradition. His album leaf written in cursive script, "Comments on Ancient Masters of Cursive" in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, presents both an example of the artist's calligraphy and a few of his opinions as an art critic.
Another version of "Song of the Stone Drum" written by Xianyu Shu in cursive script is currently in the New York collection of John M. Crawford, Jr. The handscroll is dated in correspondence with 1301 and is considered to be one of the artist's best works.
Together with his close friend, the famous painter and calligrapher Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), Xianyu Shu helped foster a cultural revival during the Yuan dynasty and renew the importance of ancient artistic models. His studio in Hangzhou, the Kunxue Zhai ("Studio of Learning after Painful Ignorance"), became a frequent meeting place for the literary groups of the day.
Xianyu Shu himself collected and intently studied the works of ancient calligraphers, especially those of the Jin and Tang dynasties. He was particularly talented in running and cursive scripts and brought to his writing a strength and energy in keeping with the northern artistic tradition. His album leaf written in cursive script, "Comments on Ancient Masters of Cursive" in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, presents both an example of the artist's calligraphy and a few of his opinions as an art critic.
Another version of "Song of the Stone Drum" written by Xianyu Shu in cursive script is currently in the New York collection of John M. Crawford, Jr. The handscroll is dated in correspondence with 1301 and is considered to be one of the artist's best works.