Xie Jin (1369-1415) was also known as Da Shen, also known as Jin Shen, and also known as Chunyu and Xiyi. A native of Jishui, Jiangxi. You Yingmin, who was a Jinshi at the age of 20, was awarded the title of Shujishi, served as a Hanlin bachelor, and was also a bachelor of Zuo Chunfang. Taizu loved him very much, often served in front of the emperor, and presided over the compilation of "Yongle Dadian". This is the largest such book in our country. In the history of world culture, "Yongle Dadian" is known as the earliest, largest and most extensive encyclopedia. Xie Jin was not only knowledgeable and talented, but also upright, upright, and not afraid of powerful people. He went to court many times, criticizing bad government and admonishing villains, which led to a rough life. Sometimes he was favored, sometimes he fell out of favor, sometimes he was promoted, sometimes he was demoted, until he was framed and died tragically in prison.
Xie Jin is also very accomplished in poetry, calligraphy, prose, etc. He cannot stop writing. You Gong's five-character poems have more than 500 existing poems. His ancient style songs are unrestrained and rich in imagination, which is close to Li Bai, and his verses and quatrains are close to those of the Tang Dynasty. He is also good at calligraphy, with exquisite regular script and cursive calligraphy. His penmanship is exquisite and unexpected. His works include "Baiyun Manuscript", "Dongshan Collection", "Taiping Memorial", etc. What survives now are sixteen volumes of "Jie Wenyi Gongji", one volume of "Chun Yu Miscellanies", and three volumes of "Biography of Martyrs in Ancient and Modern Times". Later generations' evaluation of his life is: "His integrity will last for generations, and his articles will be respected for generations." Zou Yuanbiao ("Explanation of the Old Tomb of Scholar Chunyu").
His cursive writing was the first of its kind in the late Ming Dynasty. He Qiaoyuan of the Ming Dynasty said in "Mingshan Zang": "Jin learned calligraphy from Wei Su and Zhou Boqi. His calligraphy is proud and elegant, and his spirit is doubled." This fully understands the achievements of Jin's calligraphy.
Xie Jin, "An Anecdote of Song Zhaoheng Palace Examination" Cursive script on paper, 20 cm in length and 86 cm in width
Shanghai Museum Collection (click to enlarge). Image courtesy of Kejia
Explanation:
Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty adopted Jia Yi's theory of setting up utensils. When Jinshi read the Fu of Cai Qi, the whole world sighed and said, "This is the utensil of the prime minister. Anyone who pays tribute to a scholar and is given a high rank will definitely be summoned to see his high ranking people and see his talent and quality. When he gets to Qi, he will be crowned with honors." However, the Dharma Heaven thought that there was nothing he could do, so he gave him the Jin Shen Shu, the first gift
Jie Jin's cursive script, learn from Huai Su. The first three lines of this volume are slightly restrained, and from the fourth line onwards, they become more fluid and unrestrained. The brush is vigorous and vigorous, the front is changeable, the frustration is round, and the brush is free and easy. The ink is thick and dry, the ink color is as dark as lacquer, and the ink rhyme is flying, adding more elegance. Xie Jin's cursive script is well-known in the history of calligraphy , and it keeps pace with the three Songs (Song Ke, Song Guang, Song Su) in the early Ming Dynasty.
At the end of this volume, the seal of Qin Zhu's "曰曰真物" is at the bottom of the volume. It was once collected by Miao Yuezao, a connoisseur in the Qing Dynasty. (Zhu Hengwei)
