Page 52 - Christie's July 8th 2020 Hong Kong Fine Chiense Paintings and Caligraphy

Wang Duo’s remarkable calligraphy is based on his profound
knowledge of traditional brush techniques through studying and
copying model calligraphies. By the late Ming, hanging scrolls,
especially gigantic ones measuring almost three meters high, had
become the major format of calligraphy. Sharing the prestige
with Dong Qichang as masters of calligraphy of the late Ming
period, Wang’s striking calligraphic style was widely emulated
by his contemporaries like Fu Shan. The modern artist Wu
Changshuo praised Wang’s calligraphy the best of the Ming
dynasty.
After Chu Suiliang’s Jia Zhi Tie in Running Script exemplifies the
power and rhythmic movements of Wang Duo’s calligraphy.
Executed in 1637 on a very large scroll of satin, Wang
wielded his brush while standing and moved his wrist and arm
unfalteringly, emphasizing the visual effect through connecting
brushstrokes between characters and contrasting large and small
characters. Wang’s use of moist and heavy ink led to bleeding
of ink in some characters, which made their outlines become
vague. Yet it does not affect the visibility of the original
traces of dots and strokes. In fact, it shows Wang’s confidence
and precision when he started composing the characters. No
wonder in the 1990s the Japanese highly praised Wang Duo’s
calligraphy.
After Chu Suiliang’s Jia Zhi Tie in Running Script was once
in the collection of K’ung Hsiang-Hsi (1881-1967). A Yale
graduate and successful businessman playing a pivotal role in the
government, K’ung was the husband of Soong Ailing (1889-
1973), eldest of the three famed Soong sisters and the brother-
in-law of Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek. With such an
illustrious provenance, After Chu Suiliang’s Jia Zhi Tie in Running
Script is definitely not to be missed.

王鐸書法得益於明代刻帖風氣盛行，善於從臨摹前人法帖
中會意，將前人片紙尺箋改變為大幅掛軸，扭轉了明末時
期的書寫方式，與董其昌並譽為“南董北王”，聲名遐邇，
後輩如傅山等人曾受其影響 ; 吳昌碩評價王鐸“有明書法
推第一”。
《行書臨褚遂良〈家侄帖〉》寫於 1637 年，王鐸於巨幅
綾上運筆，鉤勒婉轉遒勁，轉折處如挽強弓，力道蘊而不
發。通幅墨氣貫通，水墨氤氳處肉中骨存，點劃取奇守正，
猶能想見其下筆沉著痛快淋漓之感。上世紀九十年代，日
人推譽“後王勝先王”，良有以也。
《行書臨褚遂良〈家侄帖〉》曾屬孔祥熙 (1881-1967) 珍
藏。孔氏為美國耶魯大學畢業生，以經商見長並於民國政
府屢居要職，亦是“宋氏三姊妹”之長姊宋藹齡 (1889-
1973) 的丈夫，孫中山、蔣介石的“連襟”。來源顯赫，
萬勿錯過。