Yang Weizhen, Epitaph for the retired scholar Zhiting - (Chinese, 1296 - 1370), Yuan-dyna

by Atelier Liesjes

Calligraphy served many purposes in elite Chinese culture; to name just a few, it was used for artistic expression, moral and philosophical statements, personal letters and other correspondence, additions to poetry, inscriptions on paintings and epitaphs and memorials. Different types of scripts were considered appropriate for different purposes; formal scripts were expected for epitaphs.

This long handscroll commemorates the life and lineage of an otherwise relatively unknown hermit and scholar named Zhiting (1301-1355). The calligrapher, Yang Weizhen, a minor official in the Yuan government, was known for his italic calligraphy. For this epitaph, he used a formal script. Although the characters flow into each other and there is much spontaneity in the brushwork, the characters are still legible and regular in size. Well-known calligraphers such as Yang often supplemented their income in hard times by writing such epitaphs.

Yuan dynasty (1279-1368)

Yáng Wéizhēn (Yang Wei-chen, traditional:楊維楨, simplified:杨维桢); ca. (1296 - 1370) was a Chinese painter and calligrapher during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

Yang was born in Zhejiang province. His style name was "Lianfu" and his nickname was "Tieya. Yang's reputation for calligraphy was widely known and brought a purity and strength to his works.

Perfect for use as a panorama on a wallpaper.