Page 34 - 2020 November 30 Bonhams Rev. Richard Fabian Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy Hong Kong

YI BINGSHOU (1754-1815)
Courtesy name Zusi, sobriquets Moqing and later Mo’an, he had also
singed his works as Nanquan, Qiushui, Xihuzhang, Yin Dingzhou. Yi
was born in Ninghua, Fujian Province. His father Yin Chaodong was
awarded the jinshi degree in 1769. Yi had received home education at
a very young age and inherited the family’s scholarly tradition. He was
a student of the renowned educator Yin Chengfang (1715-1790) and
the Grand Academician Ji Yun (1724-1805), and he learned calligraphy
with Liu Yong (1719-1805). Yi was entitled jinshi scholar in 1789 and
served as secretary in the Ministry of Justice, prefect of Yangzhou and
salt distribution commissioner. As a highly regarded official, he quitted
after the death of his father. After he died in 1815 in Yangzhou, he was
enshrined in Sanxian Ci (Shrine of the Three Sages), together with
Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi and Wang Shizhen.
Yi is highly accomplished in poetry and classical Chinese literature.
He also excelled in calligraphy, with his characteristic clerical script
being regarded as unparalleled in the Qing Dynasty. He was celebrated
together with Deng Shiru as “Yi from the south and Deng from the
north”, for their excellence in the seal and clerical scripts. Xiang Shen
(1864-1928) commented on Yi’s calligraphic achievements as follows,
“Moqing’s regular script follows the style of the Cheng Zhe stele, running
script after Li Xiya, while his clerical script absolutely captures the
quintessence of those from the Han dynasty. Even Deng Wanbai cannot
compete with him on the richness of antiquity, not to mention others.”
伊秉綬（1754-1815）
字組似，號墨卿，晚號默庵。別署南泉、秋水、西湖長，又稱伊汀洲。
福建寧化人。父朝棟乃乾隆三十四年（1769）進士。墨卿幼承庭訓，後
從陰承方(1715-1790)、李光地、蔡世遠遊。乾隆五十四年（1789）進
士，歷任刑部主事、浙江司員外郎、廣東惠州府知州、揚州府知府等。
為官清廉耿介，建書院，懲海盜，賑水災，頗負政聲。

伊氏工書，尤以隸書獨具特色，與桂馥齊名，又與鄧石如合稱「南伊北
鄧」，並為朱圭、紀昀所推重。其書以顏真卿筆法入隸，筆劃平勻，方
嚴整飭，具靜穆高古、氣勢宏大之感。向燊(1864-1928)評其書云「墨卿
楷書法〈程哲碑〉，行書法李西涯，隸書則直入漢人之室。即鄧完白亦
遜其醇古，他更無論矣」。伊秉綬亦擅詩詞，有《留春草堂詩抄》七卷
傳世，著有《攻其集》、《坊表錄》、《修齊正論》等。

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