Xue Ji: Stele of the Chan Master Xinxing 薛稷：信行禅师碑

‘Four Masters of Early Tang’ refers to Ouyang Xun, Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang and Xue Ji.

Stele of the Chan Master Xinxing 信行禅师碑

Ouyang Xun is famous for his square, energetic and ‘steep’ writing, whereas Yu Shinan for his robust, rounded, and smooth brush strokes. Chu Suiliang and Xue Ji are known for the spare beauty and boniness of their style.

The four calligraphers’ works were models of the Tang calligraphy in brush using techniques and stroke writing rules. Among the four, Ouyang Xun and Yu Shinan created their new styles and developed the art of Chinese calligraphy into a new level; hence they had profound effect on later calligraphers.

Xue Ji was not only famous in calligraphy, but also skilful in painting, specialized in crane, the most popular bird in Chinese history and is a symbol of longevity and auspiciousness.

Xue Ji learned calligraphy from Chu Suiliang. Their calligraphic works are equally good and they both shared a similar style of writing. The saying was spread among the people at that time that “you can either buy Chu’s or Xue’s calligraphic works, it does not matter as their value will not depreciate.”

Unfortunately none of Xue Ji’s calligraphic works have been preserved until today, although the calligraphic work the ‘Stele of the Chan Master Xinxing’ is said to be written by him. The slender brushwork and the ‘open and airy’ character structure in this inscription had a direct influence on Liu Gongquan (778 – 865), master calligraphy of the Late Tang and foreshadowed the ‘slender gold’ style initiated by Zhao Ji (1082 – 1135), Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. For this reason, Xue Ji found himself a position in the history of Chinese calligraphy.

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初唐四大家是：欧阳询、虞世南、褚遂良与薛稷。

欧阳询以其方折笔法，活泼险绝的书写而出名，而虞世南以刚健、圆滑的笔法取胜。褚遂良与薛稷则以绮丽与多骨而闻名。

这四名书法家的书法成为唐代书法用笔、线条书写法则的模范。四人中，欧阳询与虞世南发展了新风格，把书法推上一个新的水平；所以他们对后代书家有深远的影响。

薛稷不但以书法闻名，亦精于画，专长画鹤。在中国历史里，鹤是最这名的鸟类，也是长寿与好运的象征。

薛稷跟褚遂良学书法，所以他们两人的风格相同。两人的书法同样好。当时就流传这样的话：‘买褚得薛，不失其节’。（不管是卖褚遂良或者是薛稷的书法，价格都不会掉。）

很可惜的是，薛稷并没有传世书法保留至今，虽然现存的《信行禅师碑》被认为是他写的。这个碑里细瘦线条笔法与疏松的文字结构对后唐大书法家柳公权（778-865）有很大的影响，还成为宋皇帝徽宗赵佶的《瘦金体》的前身。因为这个理由，薛稷就在中国书法历史中找到了他的地位。

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