Reply to Xie Minshi
Su Shi 苏轼 (1037-1101)
Running script
Su Shi was born in Seishan, Sichuan province in the west of China. He is also known by his designated name
Zizhan 子瞻 and his literaryname Dongpo Jushi 東坡居士 and as Su Dongpo 苏东坡. He was one of the four
greatest calligraphers of the Song dynasty. During the Northern Song the emperors maintained
an Art Academy and in general promoted both calligraphy and painting. Su Shi taught Huang Tingjian, another of
the "greats" from the Song Dynasty.Running script was developed in the first centuries AD and was developed
from clerical script and became the usual form ofhandwriting. During the Northern Song, the Academy
looked to the past to find models to emulate and perfect. Tang calligraphywas most highly valued but
influences were drawn from the earlier dynasties as well.This letter, written in reply to a letter from
his friend Xie Minshi, was written in 1100 AD when he was 64 years old. A piece of beautiful calligraphy
could be given as a gift in honor of some great occasion or as a compliment to a friendship.
Northern Song (960-1126)

http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/SMcalligraphy/index.html
(c) Marilyn Shea, 2006, 2007