Portrait and Calligraphy of Yan Zhenqing,

1126 (stone); late 19th to first half of 20th century (rubbing)

Portrait and Calligraphy of Yan Zhenqing

1126 (stone); late 19th to first half of 20th century (rubbing)

Yan Zhengqing 颜真卿 , calligraphy (upper)
Tang Zhong 唐重 , inscriber

Hanging scroll; ink rubbing on paper

image: 122.3 x 148.8 cm. (48 1/8 x 58 9/16 in.) 141.3 x 52.7 cm. (55 5/8 x 20 3/4 in.)

Gift of George Rowley

y1958-141

Asia, China

Yan Zhenqing, Fengming tie 奉命帖 (783): 真卿奉命來此，事期未竟。止緣忠勤，無有旋意。然中心悢悢，始終不改，游于波濤，宜得斯報。千百年間，察真卿心者，見此一事，知我是行，亦足達於時命耳。 人心無路見，時事只天知。 Notes: 1. https://kknews.cc/culture/p59rxa8.html 2. Although this letter is undated, it is corresponds to when Yan Zhenqing was sent as an envoy in 783 on a mission that he knew would likely end in his death. This letter expresses his outward determination to carry out the order yet also discloses his inner sorrow. “In the first month of 783, Li Xilie [李希烈], the military commissioner of Huaixi, revolted against the Tang and sacked the city of Ruzhou [汝州]. Lu Qi [盧杞] immediately recommended that Yan Zhenqing be sent out to induce Li Xilie to surrender. The court was aghast, but none of the officials’ memorials could persuade the emperor to refuse Lu Qi’s plan. And so Yan Zhenqing . . . set off for Luoyang. From there he traveled a short distance to the rebel camp at Xuzhou. Immediately Yan proceeded to read Li Xilie the imperial instructions to surrender . . . Li prevented his men from killing Yan, and for a time treated him as a guest . . . . Eventually . . . on the eight month of the inaugural year of the Honorable Prime era, they hanged Yan Zhenqing.” (from Amy McNair, The Upright Brush: Yan Zhenqing’s Calligraphy and Song Literati Politics (1998), pp. 140-42) Tang Zhong唐重 (1083-1128) 觀此筆蹟，不顯歲月，以事實考之，盖使 李希烈時也。希烈以建中元年[780]陷汝州。 盧杞建議遣公奉使。至正*元元年[785]八月 丙戌公不幸遇害。困躓賊庭者，逾二年 刃加於頸而色不變度，無還期誓不易 節。蓋書此以自表。云重既摹公之像 於蒲，繪而祠之。又訪得此石本狀皃老 矣。公以乾元元年[758]自同徙蒲，至奉使時 垂三十年，氣節不衰而状皃非昔也。 乃刻石而寘之祠室，俾觀者有考焉。 靖康元年[1126]七月壬申朝散郎秘阁修 撰知同州軍事唐重書 Draft Summary: Although this writing is not dated, from events it corresponds to the time Yan Zhenqing was sent as an envoy to Li Xilie 李希烈 [in 783]. Xilie had captured Ruzhou in 780 and Lu Qi 盧杞 recommended and [by imperial order] sent Yan Zhenqing as an envoy, where he was killed in the eighth month 785. Under privation for more than two years at the court of the traitor, even with a knife to his neck, he did not change his attitude and would not go back on his vow [to carry out the imperial order]. He wrote this to express his thoughts. Yun Zhong 云重 (person?) made a portrait of Yan Zhenqing at Pu[zhou] 蒲州and painted it in a shrine. Investigating and obtaining [a copy or rubbing] of this stone, the portrait shows an elderly Yan Zhenqing, some thirty years after he moved from Tong[zhou] to Pu[zhou]. His integrity is undiminished, but his appearance is not what it formerly was. This stone carved was and set up in the shrine chamber so that viewers could examine it. The official Tang Zhong 唐重 wrote this in 1126. Notes: * In the Song, the character zhen貞 was a taboo word, so zheng 正 is substituted. As a result, the actual reign era referred to is Zhenyuan 貞元, not Zhengyuan 正元. 1. https://www.zhonghuadiancang.com/xueshuzaji/jinshiwenziji/31330.html 2. https://sou-yun.cn/eBookIndex.aspx?kanripoId=KR3j0162_008&id=1922

At bottom, a half-length portrait of the calligrapher, military general, and upright official Yan Zhenqing holding a ritual tablet or baton (hu 笏) before his chest. At top is Yan Zhenqing’s Fengming tie 奉命帖 (also called Feng shi Caizhou shu 奉使蔡州书)
inscription brushed in his calligraphy. Although undated, the text corresponds to when Yan Zhenqing was sent as an envoy in 783 on a mission that he knew would result in his death. The text expresses his outward determination to carry out his received orders, yet also reveals his inner sorrow. Below Yan’s calligraphy is an 1126 inscription by the Song dynasty official Tang Zhong唐重 (1083-1128).

Chinese

Song

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