Wu-i ko Poems

Wang Chung (styles name Lu-jen and Lu-chi; sobriquet Ya-i shan-jen), a native of Soochow, was the son the merchant Wang Chen, who also collected antiquities as well as painting and calligraphy. Influenced by his father, Wang Chung studied with his brother under Wen Zhengming (1470-1559) and Ts'ai Yu, excelling at poetry and prose. His calligraphy followed the style of Wang Hsien-chih (344-386) and Yu Shih-nan (558-638). Wang is known along with Chu Yun-ming and Wen Zhengming as one of the Three Talents of Soochow. This is a handscroll of semi-cursive calligraphy that flies and darts across the paper. Wang's application of the brush was somewhat stiff, with only the turns of the brush being slightly softer, giving a slightly harsh yet archaic effect. Although in modern cursive, the characters in this work are practically independent with a sense of draft cursive. The right-falling strokes of some characters, such as mien 眠, t'ai 泰 and lieh 裂, also suggest a touch of clerical script. These poems were done at the age of 34 and written on stiff sutra paper from Mt. Chin-su, which highlights Wang's quick and forceful brushwork as well as the areas where he lifted and pressed the brush. This work is one of the best surviving ones by Wang Chung.