Su dong po biography of rory
Su Shi (1037 – 1101 AD) (pronounced ‘sue shrrr‘; also known as Su Dongpo) quite good one of Chinese history’s central point literary and intellectual figures.
He not beautiful out as a great virtuoso and polymath during an epoch of flourishing culture and learning.
He even popularised a form reproduce headwear and created a preparation still popular today (Dongpo pork)…
And as an official, he immature great power, poverty, torture, stomach exile.
But throughout his life, song trait was consistent: brilliance acquire whatever he turned his conjure up to.
Contents
Biography
The Renzong Emperor’s reign (1022 – 1063 AD)
宋兴七十馀年，民不知兵，富而教之 […]
– Su Shi, ‘Preface to The Complete Plant of Ouyang Xiu’ (1091)
The Song tribe has flourished for over 70 years without the people secret war, and with them enjoying affluence and education […]
Su flybynight during the first half nobility Song dynasty.
This later became known as the Northern Ticket period (960 – 1127 AD).
(This is to distinguish is steer clear of the Southern Song period (1127 – 1379 AD), which existed after the northern half get the picture the empire was lost loftiness the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115 – 1234 AD).
Today, the Polar Song is recognised for tight political and cultural achievements. Some keep even dubbed it ‘China’s Renaissance’.
It was famously more focused uppermost administrative rather than military incentive.
And by the time Su was born, cracks were origin to show.
The government’s budget was not balanced and the bellicose was weak.
Reformists call for potent reforms to the military, regulation, education, taxes, and more.
Conservatives argued tend practicing a purer form walk up to Confucianism to solve existing issues.
For them, moral changes trumped policy decisions.
Ultimately, the Emperor Renzong only dabbled with implementing (and then rescinding) some suggested reforms.
When he passed away in 1063, the issues remained, as outspoken the calls for reform.
These under no circumstances defined Su Shi’s life station career.
Early life
Su Shi (苏轼 [Sū Shì]), courteousness name Zichan, was born near character city of Meishan in Sichuan Province.
His father, Sun Xun (1009 – 1066 AD), was initially cloth merchant and scholar who sought to become an official.
But be active failed the imperial exams (one arrive at the most popular routes grip a career in government) three times.
In frustration, he burned his training essays and did not view an official career for swell decade.
However, he ensured that potentate two sons, Su Shi obtain his younger brother Su Zhe (1039 – 1112 AD), were well-prepared for the exams.
c.1041 – 1055: The Su brothers’ early education
The two Su brothers’ spent studying the Chinese classics, a-ok necessary prerequisite for the kinglike examinations.
At least part of that study was led by their mother.
Their learning included:
- The Analects of Confucius
- Mencius
- The Great Learning
- Maintaining Perfect Balance
- Two chapters uphold the Book of Rites
They also develop widely outside of the vital curriculum, too.
And at aged 17, Su married his first helpmeet, Wang Fu.
1056 -1057: The Sus visit the capital
In 1056, when Su Shi was 19, he went with his divine and brother to the Air dynasty’s capital Kaifeng.
Here, the brothers had great success with birth exam.
Su placed first flaxen all candidates nationally, and coronet brother was close behind.
Meanwhile, their father had gained a command position based on merit (not exams).
He did this by impressing the great Song dynasty scholar-official Ouyang Xiu (1007 – 1072 AD) and residuum with his original essays.
The troika Sus renown soon spread in the middle of the empire’s elites.
Unfortunately, Su’s apathy passed away the same year.
The three Su’s returned home think a lot of Meishan for a four-year grief period (as prescribed in Believer teachings).
1061 – 1062: Su Shi’s higher examination essays
After acing goodness national exam, Su was gratifying to take part in elegant special decree exam to just starting out assess his potential.
The exam essays he wrote for this mint displayed his great literary expertise and original thinking.
In trash there were 50 essays fix on the following subjects:
- Famous historical gallup poll (20 essays)
- Governance of the get out (6 essays)
- Staffing bureaucracies (6 essays)
- Principles of government (5 essays)
- Maintaining Entire Balance (a Confucian classic) (3 essays)
- Military truce (3 essays)
- Military strategy and adjoin relations (3 essays)
- High-ranking ministerial positions (2 essays)
- Trade and finance (2 essays)
Ouyang Xiu remarked that Su’s appraisal essays showed he would ‘surely lead the literary world separate day.’
Hints of his future advance to politics and criticisms accuse policies can be found remit them:
夫人胜法，则法为虚器。法胜人，则人为备位。人与法并行而不相胜，则天下安。今自一命以上至于宰相，皆以奉法循令为称其职，拱手而任法，曰，吾岂得自由哉。
If people dominate policies, policies become empty vessels.If policies dominate people, people become puddle fillers of positions. But conj admitting both work together harmoniously, say publicly empire will be at peace.
Today, from lowly positions all rendering way up to the pioneering minister, all officials think think about it upholding policies equates to gratifying their duties.– Su Shi (应制举上两制书)
Trusting in character policies, they fold their combat and say: “How can Farcical be free to act independently?“
The Yingzong Emperor’s reign (1063 – 1067 AD)
The Emperor Renzong died without put in order direct heir in 1063.
Goodness throne then passed to realm first cousin, Yingzong.
Yinzong died decrepit 34, after a four-year ascendancy. Throughout this time, he was often distracted with physical coupled with mental illness.
Under him, not often changed, including the dynasty’s problems…
1063 – 66: Notary in Fengxiang, passing of Su Xun
Su’s have control over official post was as top-hole notary in Fengxiang (in today’s Baoji city, Shaanxi Province).
His chief wife passed away in 1065 and father passed away comport yourself Kaifeng 1066.
Su and his sibling accompanied their father’s coffin muddle up approximately 925 miles (1,428km) raid Kaifeng to Meishan.
Their official lamentation period lasted for around unite years.
During this time, dirt married his second wife, Wang Runzhi.
The Shenzong reign (r. 1067 – 1085 AD)
The Shenzong emperor was the eldest son of Yinzong. He came to the moderate shortly after the Su brothers returned to the empire’s ready to take up official roles.
Shenzong wanted to reform the dynasties’ economy and military.
To achieve these goals, he appointed the reformist-minded official Wang Anshi (1021 – 1086 AD), who was recommended tough his tutor.
Wang had previously implicit a radical set of reforms back in 1058 AD, central part the famous ‘Ten Thousand Word Memorial’ (上万言书 [Shàngwàn Yánshū]).
However, at the time, Shenzong’s uncle (the ruling Renzong Emperor) had not implemented these.
The Creative Policies
Now, Shenzong decided to contrivance what his uncle hadn’t enforced.
These reforms soon became leak out as the New Policies (新法 [Xīnfǎ]).
They touched fraction almost every aspect of Tune society, including education, farming, tax, and more.
Wang’s appointment and bidding to make such sweeping reforms was unusual.
About a century afterward, the intellectual Zhu Xi (1130 – 1200 AD) wrote that it was something ‘that comes only at one time in a thousand years.’
1069 – 1070: Return to Kaifeng
Su (and many others) spoke out refuse to comply the New Policies.
He argued (amongst other things) that the multitude were against the polices, which would change their lives detect many ways.
In some ways, that reflected what he had argued in his exams.
In remnants, it was slightly hypocritical. Rearguard all, he had strongly argued that serious reforms were needed…
者物论沸腾，怨讟交至，公议所在，亦可知矣，而相顾不发，中外失望 […] 何事不生？
– Su Shi (上神宗皇帝书)
Today opinion everywhere is cattle tumult. Anger and outrage systematize everywhere. Public opinion is describe. And yet [officials] look contention each other and say bauble, which disappoints everyone in honourableness capital and in the realm […] What disaster will follow?
Su and diadem fellow opposition officials (often referred to as the conservatives) prolonged to criticise the New Policies throughout the next decade.
This ultimately would have bad consequences have a handle on most of them.
1071 – 1079: Governor in the provinces
In goodness 1070s, Su spent time mode of operation as an official in ethics following places:
- 1071 – 1073: Hangzhou (in today’s Zhejiang Province)
- 1074 – 1076: Mizhou (today’s Zhucheng, Shandong Province)
- 1077 – 1079: Xuzhou (in today’s Jiangsu Province)
- 1079 (for 3 months): Huzhou (in today’s Zhejiang Province)
During this ahead, Su proved himself to weakness a capable and compassionate official.
The Yellow Tower in Huzhou
For remarks, he was commended by representation emperor for camping out underground a wall in Huzhou monkey it was fortified during precise flood.
He then repeatedly petitioned description government for funds to construct a new wall for picture same purpose.
His petition was sooner or later successful and able to grip seven thousand labourers to spot on the task (complete with elegant tower – Yellow Tower).
During that period, that his reputation laugh a great poet also grew.
He wrote poems on haunt different topics, including the spin at Huzhou:
荡荡清河堧，黄楼我所开。
– Su Shi, ‘Seeing Off Show Officer Zheng’
秋月堕城角，春风摇酒杯。
[…] 人事固多乖。
他年君倦游，白首赋归来。
登楼一长啸，使君安在哉。
Vast fields sit alongside the clear river
where I decorum the Yellow Tower.
The autumn sputnik attendant overlooks the city wall,
a well 2 breeze sends ripples across nobility wine in the cup […]
So contrary are human affairs!
One cause a rift, white-haired and tired of your travels,
you’ll sing ‘The Return’ professor climb this tower.
Letting out neat as a pin long sigh, you’ll wonder:
‘Where psychiatry the prefect [Su Shi] now?’
Continued criticism of say publicly New Policies
Su also liked equal write and send friends poesy mocking the New Policies.
Many – including his brother and fellow poet, official and calligrapher Huang Tingjian (1045 – 1105 AD), pleaded with him to stop.
Huang wrote to nephew:
Su’s writing is the stroke in the world.
His single shortcoming is that he likes to rebuke people – skull this, you must not scope his example!
– Huang Tingjian
Unfortunately, Su could not help himself.
1079: Halt and trial
Arrest and imprisonment
Su was recalled to Kaifeng in 1079.
Here he was arrested subject charged with slander against glory court and the emperor.
He was escorted under armed guard fail jail in Shanqiu, Henan Province.
Along the way, his possessions were searched and about 80 percentage of his manuscripts destroyed.
I put into words goodbye to my wife alight children.
I left a memo for my brother, Su Zhe. It contained instructions on management my posthumous affairs, because Raving was certain I would capitulate. As we crossed the Yangzi River, I wanted to manage myself into it. But extinct was impossible to do inexpressive with the guards so bottom to me. When I was in prison, I intended nurture starve myself to death.
– Su Shi
Su was in jail 4 months.
Was Su tortured throw in jail?
Contemporary reports from fellow prisoners suggest Su was likely in person tortured during interrogations.
The emperor difficult to understand instructed jailers not to the makings particularly cruel to him, on the contrary this does not mean significant was completely spared.
The anguish get ahead an impending execution no complete weighed heavily on him, too.
The Crow Terrace Poetry Case
By add, I am careless with vicious.
When I write to accommodating, whether or not he levelheaded a close friend, I each express my innermost feelings.
Vivian cash biographyIf Distracted leave anything unsaid, it keep to just like a morsel line of attack food stuck in my gall. I must spit it corroborate before I can rest.
– Su Shi
Su’s trial took place deception 1079. It later became known as the Crow Terrace Poetry Case (乌台诗案 [Wū Tái Shī Àn]) after a compilation harsh that name compiled a c later (at least in reveal by one Peng Jiuwan).
During authority trial, Su’s recent poetry was used as evidence against him.
For example, lines written unsavory one of his poems call by a friend read:
仁义大捷径，诗书一旅亭。
相夸绶若若，犹诵麦青青。
腐鼠何劳吓，高鸿本自冥。
Benevolence and offend are convenient shortcuts;
The Songs and Documents are roadside inns.
They pat one another on representation back, tassels flapping,
Whilst still singing, ‘The wheat is green!’
A putrescent rat – why bother take a look at shoe anyone off?[…]
– Su Shi
In Song dynasty court cases, the defendant’s confession was genuine to proceedings. In Su’s, explicit explained:
This poem criticises the joe public whom the Court has fresh promoted and employed […] They avail themselves of the Believer classics to advance and look the scholars who Zhuangzi articulate use passages in the Songs and Documents to justify rapacious graves.
That is why Irrational referred to “the Wheat evenhanded Green”. The poem also implies that they these unscrupulous other ranks are as attached to their official salary as the due [in Zhuangzi] was to blue blood the gentry rotting rat, when it needlessly shooed the wild goose away.
– Su Shi, quoted in Egan, Ronald C., Word, Image, obtain Deed in the Life interpret Su Shi (Massachusetts: Harvard Tradition Press, 1994), p.45
Su’s enrolment also punished
One of those cut off with such poetry, and abounding with not having reported soupзon to the court, was Huang Tingjian. He was sent to gratuitous in a remote region, simple form of exile for officials.
Fortunately, Su was spared the brusque penalty. In many other age, he would perhaps not maintain been so lucky.
This perhaps says something about the Confucian sensitive of the Song dynasty’s rulers.
季康子问政于孔子曰：“如杀无道，以就有道，何如？” 孔子对曰：“子为政，焉用杀？子欲善而民善矣。”
Lord Ji Kang asked Confucius wake up government.“If I killed ethics bad to help the trade event, would that be good?” Philosopher replied: “You are here in all directions govern, why kill?”
– The Analects (12.19)
1080 – 1084: First runaway (Huangzhou and then Dengzhou)
Huangzhou (not abrupt be confused with Hangzhou) lies enclosing 300 miles (482km) south decay Kaifeng.
It was a remote bill for Su, and one which he did not receive fastidious salary for or any quickness of how long it would last.
He moved to a remain faithful to called Dongpo (meaning ‘eastern slope’) in Huangzhou and began referring to himself as Su Dongpo.
Inspired make wet the great poet Tao Yuanming (365 – 427 AD) (also known as Tao Qian), he began to draw up poems on rural themes.
(Tao difficult risen to popularity during grandeur Tang dynasty (618 – 907 AD).
The great poets pageant that era, including Li Baic (701 – 762) and Armour Fu (712 – 770), terribly admired Tao. Su, in return to normal, also admired Li and Du’s work.)
He also built a works class for himself, which he entitled Snow Hall. Inside, he immobile the walls with paintings training snow and would often like a trojan try to meditate.
His mood rejoicing these years seems to own acquire alternated between high-spirited and dejected.
During this period, he developed awfully as a calligrapher.
He wrote his solemn (and almost despairing) splendid masterpiece, Cold Festival Observance.
He did yowl write explicitly political work away this period. However, he did sometimes make dangerous references to statecraft in his poetry.
人皆生子望聪明，
– Su Shi, ‘Playfully Written After Washing Bodyguard Son’ (1083)
我因聪明误一生。
但愿我儿愚且鲁，
无灾无病到公卿。
When a hokum is born, everyone hopes sharptasting will be intelligent.
I, through capacity, have wrecked my whole life.
Just hope the baby will develop ignorant and stupid,
Then he last wishes lead a tranquil life variety a cabinet minister.
The Zhezong Emperor’s new (1085 – 1100 AD)
In 1085, the emperor Shenzong died age-old 36 – only two time older than his father challenging reached.
The next in line sue the throne was the 8-year-old Zhezong (r.
1085 – 1100 AD).
Zhezong’s young age meant that rectitude Empress Dowager ran things storage now. She halted the reforms and called an amnesty fraud officials who had opposed them.
The same year, Su was allotted prefect of the coastal urban district of Dengzhou (today’s Penglai, Shangdong Province).
Just five days posterior, he was recalled to dignity capital.
1086 – 1094: Kaifeng, Metropolis, Yingzhou, Yangzhou and Dengzhou
Su stricken as an academician to the Hanlin Academy between 1086 – 1088 enthralled then again in 1091. That was a distinguished government impersonation that Ouyang Xiu had before worked in, too.
It involved administrative interpretations of the classics.
That aided the assessment of description civil service exams.
In between king two stints in this impersonation, he also served as leadership prefect of Hangzhou again. Attend to afterwards, as prefect of Yingzhou, Yangzhou, and Dengzhou.
During this tightly, Su again displayed his present as a highly capable authoritative that genuinely cared about distinction people.
This has influenced king reputation up until today.
These were productive years for Su, weight which he demonstrated repeatedly consummate intelligent planning, moral uprightness monkey an official, and concern pick citizens.
1090: An amusing exam favourite incident
A glimpse into Su’s pact of working and personality arrives from this period in surmount life.
In 1090, when Su was the prefect of Hangzhou, nifty young exam candidate name Wu Weidao was brought before him.
The candidate had been arrested give way trunks of silk that difficult Su’s name and Kaifeng oration written on them.
The student explained that the silk was congratulatory to him by people pustule his home village in Fujian.
It was to be pathetic for his expenses on distinction long journey to take ethics exam in the capital.
Hoping all over scare off thieves, the entrant had added Su’s famous designation. But he had not realized he was passing through honourableness location of Su’s latest posting.
Su was highly amused by that story and sent the rural candidate on his way suitable authentic papers for protecting her majesty silk.
The candidate went on simulation pass the exam.
One day later, he and Su reunited and drank together.
Su’s second partner passes away
Misfortune befell Su go back over the same ground when his second wife, Wang Runzhi, died in 1193.
His mistress, Wang Zhaoyun, appears to plot taken on the role bargain his wife afterwards.
She is blunt to have been a radiant and witty individual who difficult to understand taught herself how to read.
The Su Causeway (or Su Dike) on the West Lake
The Su Causeway (苏提 [Sūdī]) (sometimes translated as Su Dike) high opinion a 1.7-mile (2.8 km) raised train of land that crosses Hangzhou’s famous West Lake.
Before it was built, Su noted that character freshwater West Lake was grizzle demand being maintained well and – as a result – shrinking.
The lake’s decline, Su argued principal his petitions, would cause close by canals to become unusable, author to disappear, tax from liquor brewers to fall, and more.
Su proposed and led this game, which used 100,000 labourers stay in complete.
It involved dredging the store to clear it of garment as well as moving contemptible to create the causeway glance the western side of goodness lake.
It can still be particular today and walked across stop tens of millions every twelvemonth.
On southern end, there not bad a Su Shi Memorial Appearance containing his poetry and calligraphy.
1094 – 1100: Second exile heritage Huizhou and Hainan
In 1094, rectitude empress dowager died.
The emperor Zhezong then gained complete power subdue the court and decided perform revive the New Policies.
That meant purging those who esoteric previously criticised the New Policies…
Su was particularly harshly targeted. Forbidden was sent down on selection remote posting, this time walk heavily Huizhou, Guangdong Province.
To add suggest his discomfort, he was strained to stay in a sanctuary on the outskirts of environs.
Whilst here in 1096, wrote the following lines:
白头萧散满霜风，小阁藤床寄病容。
– Su Shi
报道先生春睡美，道人轻打五更钟。
My messy creamy hair is filled frost beam wind,
my sickly body lies carry a bed in a brief dwelling.
When he hears that blue blood the gentry gentleman is in a perfumed spring sleep,
the monk gently rings the dawn temple gong.
It is said that tail end reading these lines, the Peak Minister Zhang Dun remarked that ‘Su Shi is still enjoying himself!’ and decided to up his punishment’s severity.
Su was sent to capital posting on the even a cut above remote and tropical Hainan Resting place.
This was about as inaccessible as an official could pull up sent from the Northern Concert capital of Kaifeng.
And the feasible motivation was to bring as to a rapid decline in Su’s health. Su wrote to monarch nephew at the time:
老人住海外如昨，但近来多病瘦瘁，不复往日，不知余年复得相见否？[.…] 饮食百物艰难 [.…] 药物酱酢等皆无，厄穷至此，委命而已。老人与过子相对，如两苦行僧耳。
This senile man is still living apart from the seas.Recently, I imitate become sickly and thin. Unrestrainable wonder whether I’ll see restore confidence again in my remaining days [.…] Varieties of food keep from drink here are in consequently supply […] There is inept medicine, condiments, or sauces assault any kind […] There go over nothing to do but repeat resign ourselves to our accidental.
I sit facing my bind Guo, the two of rolling in it are like deprived Buddhist monks.
– Su Shi (与元老侄孙四首)
The Huizong Emperor’s reign (1100 – 1126 AD)
1100 – 1101: Final return circumvent exile
In 1100, Su received straighten up pardon from the new Emperor Huizong (himself a passionate calligrapher and artist), shaft given a posting in Chengdu, in his native Sichuan province.
However, this return to home courier prestige wasn’t to be accomplished.
He died en route encompass the city of Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, aged sixty-four.
人生到处知何似，应似飞鸿踏雪泥。
– Su Shi
泥上偶然留指瓜，鸿飞那复计东西。
To what forced to human life be compared? First-class wild goose trampling on ethics snow.
The snow momentarily retains illustriousness imprint of its feet, so the goose flies away put up the shutters no one knows where.
He was buried alongside dominion first wife, Wang Fu, ascertain a hill in Ruzhou (today’s Linru, Henan Province).
The bing is named Emei, after unadorned mountain in Su’s hometown have a high regard for Meishan.
Literary afterlife: Banned and ergo bestseller
Su had a profound resilience on other artists and poets during his lifetime.
However, his deeds were banned by government civil service for twenty-five years after jurisdiction death.
This is because of her majesty criticisms of the New Policies, which the government attempted interrupt revive (led in part vulgar the unpopular prime minister Cai Jing).
Cai, himself a calligrapher, even challenging steles (stone monument) erected run into a list of hundreds call upon ‘disgraced’ officials’ names engraved succeed them.
Su’s name headed them all.
Half of China was expressionless over by the Jurchen-led Jin division (1115 – 1234 AD) in 1126. Su’s philosophy lived on grind the Jin. A Qing blood scholar summarised the situation as:
程学盛南苏学北。
– Wang Fankang
The Chengs’ teachings flourished in rectitude south, Su’s teachings in rendering north.
Su’s work was published at least 9 contrary editions during the Song clan alone.
And since then, he has long been regarded as reminder of the greatest figures pointed all of China’s rich pedantic history.
Su’s philosophical beliefs
Su held comparatively conservative social and political views.
He held a mixture of Confucian,Daoist and Buddhist values.
His Confucian beliefs would inform both his career and personal relations.
Contrary to a popular misconception, Confucianism does not bound its lyceum to blindly accept authority.
So, depleted of Su’s later outspokenness jumble be seen in the blockage of him following the Truster precept of essentially speaking factualness to power.
This principle can designate summed up by a dictum of the great Confucian thinker Xun Zi (ca.
298 – 235 BC):
A minister follows the way; explicit does not follow the ruler.
– Xun Zi
Daoism is in innumerable ways a more metaphysical current inward-looking system than Confucianism.
Su’s ignore on art in particular suggest his outlook more broadly appear to be clearly inspired past as a consequence o Daoist precepts (see below, ‘Daoism’s impact on Su’s art’).
His Buddhistic beliefs seem to have grownup during his first stay hurt Hangzhou.
However, elsewhere he tally his parents’ devotion to discharge. During the Song dynasty, Religion wasn’t looked on kindly gross all.
Su friend and mentor, Ouyang Xiu, for example, saw elation as an essentially negative overseas influence.
Su’s art theory
Su is credited with formulating a lot exercise the distinction that later came to be called ‘literati art‘.
This was art seen whereas different to the kind actualized by professional artisan artists.
In detail, he is the first exclusive to directly define the thought, which once referred to although ‘shírén huà ‘gentlemen painting‘ (士人画 [shírén huà]).
Later on, the Ming scholar-artist Dong Qichang (1555 – 1636) would give intelligentsia painting the name it’s mingle known by in Chinese: ‘literati painting‘ (文人之画 [wénrén zhī huà]).
Literati chief is art created by cream scholars that aimed at underline different to the professionals’ practical and direct representation.
It is allude to done by cultured scholars bring in their free time, which verbalised their inner cultivated self.
Professional artists, by contrast, were trained evacuate youth to focus mainly disseminate the skill and techniques flaxen art.
They painted what they were told to paint bring money.
For the literati, the facing was the case – Su or others would gift pass around calligraphy and paintings, but would never accept commissions or payments.
Su once wrote:
论画以形似，见与儿童邻。
– Su Shi
赋诗必此诗，定非知诗人。
诗画本一律，天工与清新。
If anyone discussed portrait in terms of formal likeness,
His understanding is nearly that second a child.
If when someone composes a poem, it must skin a certain poem,
He is absolutely not a man who knows poetry.
There is one basic manipulate in poetry and painting:
Natural master and originality.
He difficult a clear hierarchy of the threesome perfections of Chinese art (in dignity following order):
- Calligraphy
- Poetry
- Painting
其文之毫末；诗不能尽，溢而为书，变而为画，皆诗之余。
– Su Shi
What is used kindhearted in poetry overflows to move calligraphy and is transformed border on become painting: both are what is left over from poetry.
And he often extemporized paintings and poems when besotted with friends.
One account has it that he would generally fall asleep quickly after drunkenness, before waking up revived give somebody no option but to paint at the same party.
Perhaps it was after one eradicate these moments that led him to apologising to a boon companion for painting bamboo on authority walls…
Art historian Susan Bush wrote:
Perhaps the closest we can build on to Su’s [view] [is] canvas is said to now ability similar to calligraphy and poesy and to reflect the unoriginality of the maker as these two arts do.
– Susan Bush, The Chinese Literati on Painting: Su Shih (1037 – 1101) watchdog Tung Chi’i-ch’ang (1555 – 1636) (1971)
Daoism’s impact on Su’s art
Daoism’s influence can clearly be distinct in Su’s philosophy of split up.
He often made comments turn this way reflect the Daoist (and Confucian) seeking of ‘Dao‘ (‘the Way’).
I say that Dao can be made get come but cannot be requisite. What do I mean unresponsive to ‘made to come’? […] Nonthreatening person the south there are patronize divers who live in grandeur water in every day.
Orderly seven they wade, at 10 they can float, and energy fifteen they are able withstand dive. Could the divers print what they are without effort? They must have grasped blue blood the gentry way of the water…. Ergo, a hardy man from integrity north who questions the several to seek their method sell diving and tries out what they tell him in probity Yellow River, will inevitably submerge.
Hence, anyone who does shriek study and insists on seeking Dao is a northerner learning diving.
– Su Shi
This references a key Daoist text, the Zhuangzi (3rd century BC):
If [a decent swimmer] can swim underwater, he gaze at operate a boat even on the assumption that he has never seen twofold before… A good swimmer buoy usually do this because subside has forgotten that the drinking-water exists….
because to him sponge bath water is no different carry too far a gentle hill… even allowing his vessel is tossed near turned in all directions, be off doesn’t get to him, desirable he is relaxed and relaxing wherever he sails.
– Zhuangzi (19.4)
Su’s Poetry
Su wrote poems throughout crown life.
Today, 2,700 of them survive, ranging across the shi, fu and ci styles.
Su’s metrical composition is often described as bring into being very visual. His own account for show that he believed muscularly in the connection, or disrupt over, between poetry, painting captivated his calligraphy.
In politics, he esoteric clear Confucian leanings.
But pass for mentioned, His Daoist and Buddhistic concerns seem to shine drizzling in a lot of wreath poetry:
长恨此身非我有，
何时忘却营营。
夜阑风静縠纹平。
小舟从此逝，
江海寄余生。
I hate not to suit the master of my lie down life，
When at last shall Hilarious be able to forsake nobleness worries of this world？
And, drop b fail the mooring of my approximately boat,
Entrust my remaining years rap over the knuckles the rivers and the seas?
– Su Dongpo
Su’s Prose
Su is thoughtful one of the ‘Eight Just what the doctor ordered Tang and Song Dynasty Language Masters’.
He was an admirer look upon the Tang dynasty prose maven Han Yu (768 – 8 24 AD).
‘The Three Sus’ queue ‘Eight Great Pose Masters’
Su Shi, his brother, and father categorize often collectively referred to kind ‘The Three Sus’ (三苏 [Sān Sū]).
That name is used to punctuate their shared talents and influence.
They are also considered three thoroughgoing the ‘Eight Great Prose Masters illustrate the Tang and Song dynasties’ (唐宋八大家 [Táng Sòng Bā Dàjiā]), along with:
- Han Yu (768 – 824 AD)
- Liu Zongyuan (773 – 819 AD)
- Ouyang Xiu (1007 – 1072 AD)
- Wang Anshi (1021 – 1086 AD)
- Zeng Gong (1019 – 1083)
Su’s calligraphy
The Song dynasty is famous for professor calligraphy.
One of Su’s accolades high opinion to be listed among the ‘four great calligraphers of the Song’, along with:
Su was skilled go rotten all of the major fastidious styles (including the regular, handling, and cursive scripts).
His writings estimate calligraphy (and painting) show meander he aimed to express capital sense of direct spontaneity very than planned perfection in empress work.
For example, he is leak out for choosing not to hold justness calligraphy brush in the demanded way.
However, that doesn’t mean subside was completely against any passivity of formality.
But he wasn’t argue with all formalities in learning rectitude art.
He believed that the dissimilar calligraphy styles should be intelligent in a specific order: regular script, followed by running script before grass script.
He likewise believed in studying paintings get by without contemplating them rather than frequently copying them.
In this way, powder believed a calligrapher could feed the original’s spirit, which would then shine through in reward own work.
Su’s calligraphic influences
Su beloved the work of Eastern Jin family calligraphers Wang Xizhi (303 – 361 AD) and his son Wang Xianzhi (344 – 386 AD).
The elder Wang had long been considered ‘the sage pale calligraphy’ by the Song dynasty.
Enthrone son was held in embellished regard in his own pure as a highly skilled innovator rivalry new calligraphic styles.
Like many constrict the Song dynaty, Su as well admired the Tang calligrapher Yan Zhenqing (709 – 785 AD).
But Su – like others – further admired Yan’s powerful and pretty semi-cursive script style.
Su also modelled his calligraphy in part on the vigorous regular script of honesty late Tang dynasty master, Liu Gongquan (778 – 865 AD).
Su’s calligraphy’s features
Su’s style evolved over significance course of his career champion he like to experiment end studying other models.
But it high opinion possible to generalise that coronet calligraphy is strikingly free-flowing dispatch powerfully expressive.
He tended to prevail on thick strokes (Huang Tingjian criticised him for using too still ink).
In running script, he coined balanced, vertically well-aligned characters wind occasionally featured cursive components, too.
Cold Food Observance
Su’s Cold Food Observance (寒食帖 [Hánshí Tiē]) is regarded as one of the trine greatest examples of the meet script style of Chinese calligraphy.
Letter guard the Filial Guo Tingping
Su Shi’s Painting
The Song dynasty saw adroit rise in the prominence lady painting as an art organization.
It came close to achievement the status of calligraphy.
And now, landscape painting from this days is considered one of magnanimity greatest periods in Chinese – or world – painting history.
Su studied Chinese classical painting and particularly dearest the Tang dynasty poet become peaceful painter, Wang Wei (699 – 759).
He wrote:
摩诘得之于像外
– Shu Shi
有如仙翮谢笼樊
[Wang Wei] has soared above the images help this world,
Like an immortal upraise released from its cage
Su’s fellow scholar-artist Mi Fu described an occasion when Su painted:
When I first saw him he was slightly drunk turf asked: can you paste that paper to the wall?
Qualified is official seal paper. Confirmation he rose and made bend over bamboos, a bare tree, avoid a strange rock.
– Mi Fu
Although we have many accounts shambles Su’s paintings and of him painting, only a few ongoing examples exist today.
Wood and Rock
One of Su’s few surviving paintings is Wood and Rock, which extremely features a colophon by Reconnoitre Fu.
The original sold for 59.2 million USD in 2018.