| This dissertation on Su Shih (1037-1101), one of the most complex cultural figures in Chinese history, focuses on him mainly as a calligrapher. Su Shih's masterpiece, the Han-shih t'ieh (Scroll of the Poems of the Cold-Food Festival) is taken as the focal point for discussion.; Chapter I presents a biographical account of Su Shih's life to set the background of his art; the discussion focuses on his struggle between a public life in government and a wish to retire from society completely.; Chapter II analyzes and interprets the calligraphic style of the Han-shih t'ieh. Huang T'ing-chien's colophon is taken as the point of departure, and Su Shih's ideas and theories on calligraphy are used to set the fundamental issues for discussion.; Chapter III discusses Su Shih's relationship with the calligraphic tradition that preceded him. The Han-shih t'ieh and Su Shih's other works are compared with works by traditional masters to trace Su Shih's formal training in the art of writing.; Chapter IV compares the Han-shih t'ieh with Su Shih's other works that are stylistically related. I contend that Su wrote the Han-shih t'ieh in the Yuan-yu (1086-1093) era when he was serving in the Han-lin academy in K'ai-feng. My contention thus runs counter with what is generally believed that Su wrote the scroll earlier in the Yuan-feng (1078-1085) era while he was living in exile in Huang-chou.; Chapter V discusses Su Shih's legacy and influence in the realm of calligraphy and concludes that Su was a master with few significant followers in terms of formal influence. Nonetheless, Su Shih's major inspiration was that calligraphy is an art of self-expression on a par with poetry, and this thesis continues to influence calligraphers of later generations. |
