Couplet
2009
A celebrated Chinese calligrapher and scholar of his generation, Hua Rende's extensive research on ancient writing from the Han to the Six Dynasties periods (2nd century BC to 6th century AD) reinforced his endorsement of the "Stele School" tradition. Exemplified by characters with uniformly thick strokes and a square and wide composition, Hua's calligraphy gives the impression of stability. In this couplet, he compresses the space in between the strokes to form highly compact characters, thereby reinforcing its tangible strength. The rough edges of the characters evoke the effect of carving and chiseling characters into stone. As a result, each character appears to emanate power from within this couplet, which reads: "Pure gold [requires] hundredfold smelting; a fine horse [gallops] a thousand miles; The Yellow River [is distinguished by] nine windings; Mount Taihua [is known for] three peaks."
Ink on paper
Image: 70 x 12 5/8 in. (177.8 x 32.1 cm)
Overall: 105 x 18 1/4 in. (266.7 x 46.4 cm)
Purchased with funds from Frank S. Bayley III and Cheney Cowles
2010.3.1-.2
Provenance: Artist, [Qianshen Bai]
Photo: Elizabeth Mann