Page 12 - September 20 2021 Fabian Collection of Chinese Paintings Art Bonhams NYC

Inspiration from Metal and Stone - Calligraphy from
the Fabian Collection

Throughout China’s long cultural history, major political upheavals
often lead to dramatic changes in art and aesthetics. This
phenomenon occurs repeatedly, and the fall of the Ming Dynasty in
the 17th century brought revolutionary changes to the calligraphic
arts of China. Reckoning with the collapse of the state, scholars
concluded that the Confucian canon had become corrupted over the
centuries, and they began to seek the original, unpolluted texts. At
first a philological exploration, the rediscovery of ancient texts carved
in stone and cast on metal brought forth the Jinshi (lit. metal and
stone) movement in Chinese calligraphy, which inspired calligraphers
and later painters, to copy, and eventually creatively reinterpret the
earliest traces of the written language.
Expanding the traditional canon of calligraphy to include ancient
script styles and anonymous works was a radical departure in both
form and style from the existing orthodoxy that dictated aesthetic
standards for 1500 years. Looking closely at cast bronze vessels
from the Zhou and Shang dynasties, and carved stone stelae from
the Qin, Han, and Wei dynasties, the Jinshi calligraphers embraced
the forceful, deliberately awkward, and unpolished appearance of the
early inscriptions. Transcending mere archaism, the output of these
artists was in stark contrast to the polished refinement of Wang Xizhi
and the centuries of calligraphers who emulated the elegant gestures
of his brushwork.
Outstanding examples of Jinshi calligraphy from the Reverend
Richard Fabian collection afford a case study of the innovations by
major artists that flourished during the later Qing and early Republic
period. In any discussion of this movement, Deng Shiru (1743-1805)
is considered a principal figure in the artistic renewal of ancient script
forms, and he was best known for his re-interpretations of seal script.
Lot 1 Calligraphy in Small Seal Script (figure 1) was written in the
year 1800 and is a superb late work by the artist showing his style
in full maturity. In this scroll, Deng Shiru takes the third century bce
seal script and transforms it into a new aesthetic. The characters
retain the original sense of order and balance, yet each individual
character is endowed with a subtle rhythm that resonates though
the composition. His brushwork is solid and strong, while free and
expressive. The seal script inscription is contrasted by two lines of
clerical script--noting the date and source of the inscription, as well
as the artist’s signature in running script.

Ruan Yuan (1764-1849) was an influential scholar and publisher of
early inscriptions. His two treatises Beibei Nantie Lun (On Northern
Stele and Southern Letters) and Nan Bei Shu Pai Lun (On Northern
and Southern Schools of Writing) promoted the recent discoveries as
the ‘true’ orthodox lineage. Also, his compilations of primary source
material were widely distributed and fueled the popularity of the
Jinshi movement in the latter 19th century. Ruan Yuan’s four panel
The Song Hu Inscription in Seal Script, Lot 2 (figure 2) records the
inscription cast into Western Zhou bronze hu ritual vessel, the original
object now in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei.
The text also appears in Ruan Yuan’s compendium Jiguzhai zhong
ding yiqi kuanzhi (Inscriptions on bells, tripods, and bronze vessels
from the Jigu Studio) (figure 3). When compared side by side, it is
clear the artist faithfully records the individual characters in order, but
in his inked version the characters are enlivened by amendments to
their composition and by the use of flying white brush technique. The
scrolls are simultaneously scholarly and artistic.
Figure 1 Lot 1 Deng Shiru (1743-1805) Calligraphy in Small Seal Script, 1800

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