Chu Suiliang’s Story 褚遂良逸事

Chu Suiliang (597–658) learned calligraphy from OuyangXun and Yu Shinan successively and later was influenced by Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi’s calligraphy. He was therefore able to learn from different styles and took the advantage to create his own style, known as ‘Chu Style Calligraphy’.

When Chu Suiliang was young, his calligraphy was praised by Ouyang Xun. However, Yu Shinan’s calligraphy was what Chu admired most. One day, Chu asked Yu, ‘What do you think of my calligraphy as compared to that of Zhi Yong?’ Yu was one of Zhi Yong’s best students, so he replied: ‘I heard a word written by Zhi Yong is worth $50,000. Do you think your calligraphy can fetch that price?’ Chu asked again: ‘How about comparing with the calligraphy of Ouyang Xun?’ Yu replied, ‘I heard Ouyang can use any type of ink to write on any paper, and yet still can achieve result with utmost satisfaction effortlessly. Do you think you can do the same?’ Thinking that he would not be able to do better than these great calligraphers, he was discouraged and said: ‘If this is the case, what is the point of wasting my time on learning calligraphy?’ Yu then tried to inspire him: ‘If you can reach a stage where you feel your writing is smooth, your brush move naturally and ink flow smoothly, and occasionally can produce masterly pieces, then all your effort is worthwhile.’ Chu Suiliang was indeed inspired, and since then his calligraphy had improved by leaps and bounds.

After Yu Shinan’s death, Emperor Taizong had, on one occasion, commented to the chancellor Wei Zheng that there was no one that he could discuss calligraphy with. Wei recommended Chu's calligraphy, and Emperor Taizong immediately summoned Chu into his presence and was very surprised at his calligraphic skills.

When, on another occasion, Emperor Taizong put out notices of rewards, requesting that people submit works of the great calligrapher Wang Xizhi to him, many people submitted works purported to be by Wang, and it became difficult to tell which were genuine and which were forged. Chu was put in charge of discerning these purported Wang works, and he was able to clearly distinguish them without mistakes, and it quickly became a favorite topic of conversation among the people.

Chu was a morally upright man who always offered honest advice to Emperor Taizong's reign. Once, When Emperor Taizong wanted to review the imperial historical records that Chu was responsible for keeping, Chu rebuffed Emperor Taizong, stating that it would be irregular for an emperor to look at how an imperial historian was writing about him. Emperor Taizong then made the comment, ‘Do you record the bad things I do as well?’ Chu responded, ‘It is my responsibility, and I would not dare not to record them.’ The chancellor Liu Ji then stated, ‘Even if Chu Suiliang does not record them, everyone will.’ Emperor Taizong agreed with both of them.

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褚遂良（597-658）连续跟欧阳询与虞世南学书法，后来受到二王书法的影响。因此他能够学到不同的书体而博取众长，创造自己的风格，世称‘褚体’。

年轻时，褚遂良的楷书得到欧阳询的欣赏，而他最佩服的是虞世南。有一次，他问虞世南，‘我的书法比起智永禅师怎么样？’虞世南是智永的高足，回答说：‘我听说智永写一个字能值五万，你能够像他这样吗？’褚遂良又问：‘那比起欧阳询来又怎么样？’虞世南说：‘听说欧阳询不择纸墨，都能写得称心如意，你难道能做到这样？’褚遂良听了十分灰心，看来自己的书法难以超越前人，他说：‘既然这样，我为什么要再把功夫花在书法上呢？’褚遂良便启发地说：‘如果手顺而笔墨调畅，碰上写得精彩的，也是非常值得的。’褚遂良受到启发，从此书法大进。

虞世南逝世后，唐太宗有一次对谏议大夫魏征提到从此没有人可以与他讨论书法了。魏征推荐褚遂良的书法。太宗立刻召见，并惊异于他的书法功力。

又有一次，唐太宗出通告奖赏那些呈献大书法家王羲之书法的人。很多人多呈献所谓王羲之的作品，一时真假难辨。褚遂良被任命鉴定真伪。他毫无差错地详细鉴定，一时传为佳话。

褚遂良是个正直有道德的人，时常给予太宗忠告。一次，太宗要评审褚遂良所管理的宫廷历史纪录。褚遂良拒绝太宗，说一个皇帝要观阅宫廷史官书写有关他的纪录，那时不正常的。太宗因此问道：‘那你有纪录那些有关我的不好的事件吗？’褚遂良回答：‘那是臣的责任，臣不敢不纪录。’宰相刘洎接着说：‘就算褚遂良不纪录，别人也会。’太宗对两人的说法，皆点头赞成。

Su Demao: How to Select Suitable Model Calligraphic Works on Running-Cursive Script? 苏德茂：学行草书临哪些帖？

Su Demao 苏德茂

Today, Su Demao shares with us how to select suitable model calligraphic works in running-cursive script.

As a matter of principle, one must select the best model calligraphic works, both in terms of printing quality and calligraphic techniques and skills. Do not practice on calligraphic works by contemporary calligraphers.

For new learners of running-cursive script and those who has foundation in regular script, if time allows, it is better for him to spend 1 to 2 years to practice the ‘Preface to Buddha’s Teaching Made by Pasting Together Words from Wang Xizhi’s Calligraphy’. This will further strengthen his foundation on using the brush. After this, one can start with Wang Xizhi’s ‘Book of Seventeen Models of Handwriting’ for 1 to 2 years and then followed by Sun Guoting’s ‘Treatise on Calligraphy’ for another 1 to 2 years. This 3 to 5 years of learning will lay a strong foundation so that you can now consider writing your own calligraphic work in running-cursive script.

At the intermediate stage, learn Huai Su’s ‘Autobiographical Notes’ for a year.

At the last stage, as you have already had a good practice on writing running-cursive script, you can now choose various suitable model calligraphic works and practice for another 3 to 5 years. This will help you to develop your own style of writing.

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今天，苏德茂老师为我们谈谈学行草书临哪些帖的问题。以下是文章的内容。

学行草书临哪些帖?

在《谈临帖》，我曾说过临帖须选佳本。何谓佳本？

同是《书谱》，除墨迹本外，尚有西安碑林拓本和日本双钩本，则墨迹本为佳；还有将墨迹本放大者，则此种放大本为最佳。《书谱》还有日本二玄社据台湾故宫藏真迹影印本，彩色照原帖版式精印，印刷精良，可谓下真迹一等，为无上佳本。《十七帖》三井本，日本人很崇拜，国人也有赞赏者，称其遒劲且有笔断意连之趣，后者确利于初学；还有上海图书馆藏本，此本线条流畅，但有几处残缺；与上图本同一系列的还有文征明朱释本十七帖，清晰、古雅可玩，因在原帖字的右侧有明代书法家文征明用朱砂墨精心用楷书书写的释文，故为学十七帖者所看好。十七帖上图本，在前几年曾由上海书画出版社出版，与原帖同大精印精装本，人民币壹佰几十元一部，有文献价值；近年湖南美术出版社又将三井本收入其“中国历代法书名碑原版放大折页”丛书，临帖最为实用。

原则上，同是一种碑（帖）拓本以时间较早，且清楚为佳。现今印刷技术进步，总体上，近期印刷本，精确、清晰，远胜早期的印刷本。

就大陆印刷本来看，文物出版社，上海书画出版社印制字帖，较中国书店、武汉古籍出版社、天津古籍出版社、长春古籍出版社出版的要好；距今约20-30年间，此时期香港书谱出版社出版的法帖尤佳，特别是其中仿古线装本。

在新加坡通行的字帖中，早期为台湾出版非学术专用者，都很低劣，且常常见到当代人的书帖，不宜作为习书者用之法帖。

下面，具体谈一下，临习行草书之碑帖书目。为个人观点，供读者参考。

古人讲，从事艺术学习要‘取法乎上’。

有初步楷书基础者，可从两种途径入手。

其一，又愿意补学楷书之不足，还有较充足的时间，欲求大成者，可临习集王字圣教序（或爨龙颜，或魏灵藏，或张猛龙）一、二年，然后习草书诸帖；

其二，从《十七帖》入手，临习时间用一、二年（这里时间的计算，是每周二次，每次一小时左右）。

再临习《书谱》一、二年。

时至此，已逾三、五年，如是算打下行草书的基础。

至此，可进行初步的创作，在创作中，也须有教师指导。关于书法作品的创作，以后还有专题讲述。

中级阶段，临习怀素《藏真自序》一年。

最后阶段自由选择，因为有了3、4、5年的书写实践，再进一步通过学习与博览，选择适合自己未来发展的帖，以逐步形成属于自己的个人风格。

如欲继续写王字，可选择书写淳化阁帖卷5、6、7、8，特别其中澄清堂帖；尤要精心临习存世王字墨迹本诸帖；

或写孙过庭景福殿赋及日本小野道风诸帖；

或写体势开放挥洒自如的，如黄庭坚忆旧游、廉颇蔺相如列传与张旭古诗四首、冠军帖；

或写含蓄沉静的怀素小草千字文；

或写汉简中适合自己口味的有章草味或草隶格调的诸简；

或写大气一路的王铎系列；

或写狂草书，如怀素大草千字文，西安碑林本之残本千字文。

最后阶段的选帖，以两种计费时约2、3年，总计约6 – 8年。

《书谱》云：书法“可达其情性，形其哀乐。验燥湿之殊节，千古依然；体老壮之异时，百龄俄顷。嗟乎，不入其门，讵窥其奥者也！”呜乎！书家就这样在书法中寄托自己的哀思、抒发个人的情志，而年年老去，但艺术之青春常在。

8年，初看是很长的，此乃日积月累者，但和我们追求艺术生命的价值而言，并不长。我个人作为中国爱好书法的一个普通人，名不见经传，默默无闻者，无间寒暑风风雨雨，年复一年，就是在临帖与创作中度过的，何止二、三个8年。

仔细算起，各位少有年届60岁者，如能沉迷于此，到65岁，即可小成，68岁即可大成！如果您年龄现仅55岁，60岁即可小成，63岁即可大成。此年龄段，正是乐龄期的开始，以书艺来养颐我们，净化提升我们的身心，远远超过爱钱的疲惫，而享受学习与创作的快乐。您的艺术生命，将在65 – 70岁前后即可显露出光华。中国沈鹏、林散之不就如此吗？

勉之哉！书法同道。

苏德茂

2010.10

Su Demao: The Origin of Cursive Method Explained by Sim Kwang Hun 苏德茂：评介沈观汉著《草法释原》

Calligrapher Su Demao gives his commentary on ‘The Origin of Cursive Method Explained’, a book written by Singaporean calligrapher Sim Kwang Hun (Shen Guanhan). Below is the text of Su Demao’s article.

The way of writing Cursive script is so profound and subtle that only few people can grasp it; we need people like Sim Kwang Hun to explain to us its fine details.

Comments on ‘The Origin of Cursive Method Explained’ written by Sim Kwang Hun.

Due to fact that ‘the cursive script has been around for quite a long time; there are numerous error and misunderstanding in its writing. The people of later generations do not practice writing the official and clerical scripts, which leads to losing of the origin of cursive method. These people only show off their cursive script writing either based on their own way of interpretation or treat it as a kind of novelty; the way of interpreting cursive method becomes rather confusing.’ Mr Sim Guanhan therefore wrote the book ‘The Origin of Cursive Method Explained’, which is ‘based mainly on Zhang Cao (Zhang style of cursive writing), supplemented by Han style of clerical script, to explain the way of cursive script writing.’ (The book was published by the Cape of Good Hope Art Gallery, and the quotes cited here are from its preface.) This is ‘in order to allow those who are determined to learn the script to have some basis to rely on.’

In its preface, Mr Sim gives his personal views on the way that the cursive script is being symbolised, and certain shortcomings of a number of model calligraphic works of cursive script. Such views are indeed one of the achievements of his research on cursive method. The second achievement was the listing of 18 categories of cursive writing techniques, which include lingering lines, avoiding confusion by changed-form etc. The techniques are analysed from various angles such as brush techniques, structure and compositions of writing cursive script. Finally he listed out four major mistakes that are found commonly on the calligraphy of cursive script, namely hastily glossing over the strokes, believing in one-stroke writing, making no distinction between solid and hollow strokes, and having too many circles.

In ancient time, with the exceptions of Sun Guoting’s ‘Treatise on Calligraphy’ and Jiang Kui’s sequel to the ‘Treatise on Calligraphy’, there were few articles that systematically touched on calligraphic theories. Most articles are miscellaneous notes or on random thoughts, and they are therefore known as miscellaneous knowledge. During the late Qing dynasty, scholars such as Ruan Yuan, Bao Shichen, Liu Xizai, Kang Youwei started again writing professional monographs and treatise on calligraphy. Concerning the writing techniques of cursive script, other than the popular book ‘Rhythmic Poem Cursive Writing’, it can only be found in the appendix of Yu Youren’s book on ‘Standard Cursive Script’. Even today, there are very few people touch on the topic of cursive writing. Now Mr Sim had selected about 6 to 7 hundred commonly used characters, explained their origins systematically and brilliantly. Although the ‘Standard Cursive Script’ has systematically listed all radicals with some creative and new ideas in its appendix, it does not trace back to the original source of the cursive characters, and quite a number of the radicals are actually made up by the author.

沈观汉书法: 奉爵称寿 雅歌吹笙

Mr Sim is well versed in the Chinese palaeography and is good in writing various Chinese scripts, especially the cursive script. He has read widely calligraphy treatise and articles, written both by ancient and modern writers. He is especially familiar with Gao Ershi’s ‘The Newly Collated Jijiu Zhang and its Verification’. Therefore, explaining the origin of cursive script for him is as easy as getting things from his own back pocket, and having bread buttered on both sides. The book traces the origin and evolution of the cursive script, points out the correct ways for learners to follow. This book is not only useful for those who learn the cursive script, but also meaningful for those who learn other scripts. Our readers should treasure it, spend time to study it.

Note: Jijiu Zhang (Hurriedly Written Essay) is a famous calligraphy of early cursive script.

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苏德茂老师为我们评介新加坡书法家沈观汉先生所著的《草法释原》。以下是苏老师的评介：

草法奥赜人不察，穷微测妙赖君转

--- 评介《草法释原》（沈观汉著）

今鉴于“草法流转既久，纰缪讹误，所在多有。---- 后人不作篆隶，失其源头，不明草书作法，各呈己能，或故为新奇，草法於焉纷糺”的事实，沈观汉先生著《草法释原》，以“章草为主，汉隶为辅，阐明草书作法。”（此书已由好望角画廊出版，引文见《释原》前言。）“庶使有志于斯道者，有所依循焉。”

草法释原 Page 2o

在序言中，沈先生对近代草书“符号化”的作法，古代一些草书范本的不足等等提出个人观点，实为其研究草书的心得。心得之二，即是其罗列出自牵丝到换形防混等等十八项要点，从草书的笔法、结体、辨似等诸多方面作了原则上的论证，最后列出草书常常表现出的匆促荒率、一笔书、线条的虚实不分，圈眼太多等四种不足，告诫草书的研习者。

古代除了孙过庭《书谱》、姜夔《续书谱》外，少有系统的书法理论文章，多有零星的杂记，故归之为杂学；到清代中末叶，始有阮元、包士臣、刘熙载、康有为的专题论著。关于草书写法方面，除常见的《草书百韵歌》外，唯于右任《标准草书》附录中有相当的论述。即便当今书坛，亦少有论及者。今沈先生，选常见六、七百字，予以系统、精辟的解说。诚然，《标准草书.附录》中所罗列偏旁、部首的草法多有发明与创造，但其作草书时，不从溯草书之源头着眼，多有杜撰。

沈观汉先生精通古文字学，又善各书体，于草书特精。读遍古今书法理论典籍，于高二适《新定急就章及考证》钻研弥精，尤有心得，故其对草书释原，可谓如囊中取物，左右逢源。《释原》即为草者溯草法变化之源，又指导学草者可遵循之作草途径。此书不只为习草者专用，对学习其他各种书体法也有普遍的意义。故读者当宝爱之、研习之。

苏德茂

2009.8.24定稿

2010.10.23重录付运开

Wang Xizhi on Calligraphic Copying Skills 王羲之谈临帖

We noted that one of the most important ways of learning Chinese calligraphy is copying the model calligraphic works. The sage of calligraphy Wang Xizhi (321 - 379) was obviously an advocate of this way of acquiring calligraphic skills. The following essay was written by him advising his son Wang Xianzhi on copying techniques. His son Xianzhi is also a great calligrapher in the history of calligraphy.

Paper is the battlefield; brush is the sword; ink is the helmet and armour; ink stone is the castle; skill is the commander; conception is his assistant; structure is the strategy. To move a brush is to take a risk; to start a stroke is to issue an order; to draw a turning stroke is to kill. Writing the dots is like letting quarry stones fall freely, writing the slanting stroke is like slaying the enemies. To write freely so that the strokes are fast and sharp, to manipulate the brush so as to achieve harmony, to pause and turn is to achieve the pressing effect of the slanting slope.

Do not expect to write as well as the model calligraphic work in terms of the structure and composition on first try. The first round of copying is to get the sitting posture right and learn how to write correctly. The second round of copying will enable you understand the structure of the characters. The third round of copying should result in the shape of your writing looks like the model work. The fourth round of practice will add strength and quality to your strokes. The fifth round of copying will train you in applying all the brush techniques, such as how to start and end, and proper way of pressing down and lifting up the brush, etc. If you feel lacking fluency in the writing process, please do not stop writing and give up. It is better to write two or three rows rather than write nothing. The first goal of practicing calligraphy by copying is to write smoothly and decisively, never mind how many times you need to practice.

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我们注意到临帖是学习书法的最重要方法之一。书圣王羲之（321-379）显然也注重以临帖来掌握书法技巧。以下的短文是他写给他的儿子王献之有关临写的技巧。献之也是书法史上的一个大书法家。

夫纸者阵也，笔者刀稍也，墨者兵甲也，水研者城池也，本领者将军也，心意者副将也，结构者谋策也，扬笔者吉凶也，出入者号令也，屈折者杀戮也，点画者磊落也，戈旆者斩斫也，放纵者快利也，著笔者调和也，顿角者蹙捺也。

始书之时，不可尽其形势，一遍正脚手，二遍少得形势，三遍微微似本，四遍加其遒润，五遍兼加抽拔。如其生涩，不可便休，两行三行，创临惟须滑健，不得计其遍数也。