Calligraphy Classics Series Vol. 23: “Zixu Tie” (Autobiographical Letter) (Tenrai Shoin)

Written freely and spontaneously, this is one of the masterpieces representing the so-called "mad cursive" style. The first section is an autobiography, followed by praise from notable people of the time. The brushstrokes are quite fast and appear to be written without any particular attention to structure, but this is by no means an irregular or sloppy style. The brushstrokes become larger as the writing progresses, and the variations become increasingly diverse, resulting in tasteful expression. It is said that Huaisu wrote several different autobiographies, and some engraved copies remain.

Table of Contents

Features of this series / What is copying classical calligraphy? / About cursive writing / Autobiography / Commentary, Japanese translation, and outline / Modern Japanese translation / Commentary / Character shapes and stroke order for creating calligraphy works (sections suitable for copying)