Jin Nong (1687–1763) was one of the “Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou” in the Qing dynasty, celebrated for his mastery of both painting and calligraphy. In calligraphy he forged a singular path, most renowned for his invention of the so-called “lacquer script” (qishu 漆書). The style originated from his long engagement with Han clerical script. In his early years, he modeled himself on the Stele of Mount Hua in the Western Marchmount, achieving a rounded, unhurried, and natural brush manner. By middle age, however, under the influence of the Stele of Mount Chan State and the Stele of Heavenly Revelation, he gradually replaced rounded strokes with square ones: horizontal lines became short and thick, while verticals were slender and upright, forming a striking style summarized as “broad horizontals and thin verticals, square strokes touched with roundness.” Through constant experimentation, he cut down and blunted his brush tip, laying it on its side to write, which produced horizontals that were smooth on top but revealed streaks of fei bai (flying white) along the bottom edge. Thus was “lacquer script” born. Although later generations gave it this name, Jin himself called the style “thirsty-brush clerical script” and boasted: “Neither the men of Han and Wei nor those of Tang, Song, Yuan, or Ming ever used this method.”

The composition of the current work is straightforward yet powerful. Horizontal strokes are layered and massive, written in heavy ink, while the verticals rise slender and taut, creating a dramatic black-and-white contrast with the voids of the paper. Certain characters are completed with supplementary brushwork—such as the oblique stroke of zai (在), added in sections like a painter’s touch—yet the effect is not stiff; rather, it increases the stony monumentality of the style.

The aesthetic of lacquer script lies in drawing beauty from awkwardness and ingenuity from weight. Its broad, flattened strokes feel rustic and substantial, yet carry a tranquil resonance that preserves an ancient grandeur. Flying-white traces appear intermittently, revealing the brush’s movement beneath the dark surface, lending animation to an otherwise solemn structure. One senses both the monumental gravity of Han and Wei steles and the unrestrained naturalness of literati writing. The overall effect is restrained yet distinctive, perfectly embodying Jin Nong’s ideal of “making antiquity anew by oneself” (ziwo zuogu), and displaying the singular spirit of innovation within Qing dynasty calligraphy.

金农（1687–1763），字寿门，号冬心，清代“扬州八怪”之一，以书画并擅著称。他在书法上独树一帜，尤以自创的“漆书”最为人知。漆书的源头在于他长期研习汉隶，早年取法《西岳华山碑》，运笔圆浑、质朴潇洒。及至中年以后，受《禅国山碑》《天发神谶碑》影响，逐渐以方笔取代圆笔，横画短促粗厚，竖画修细挺拔，形成“横粗竖细、方中见圆”的奇崛风格。在反复揣摩中，他截豪秃笔，卧锋行笔，创造出横画光洁而下缘见飞白的独特笔致，“漆书”因而诞生。虽为后人命名，金农当时自称“渴笔八分”，并自诩“汉魏人无此法，唐宋元明亦无此法”。

本幅结构简明而气势沉雄，横画排叠成片，浓墨凝重，竖画修挺险劲，与留白空间形成强烈的黑白对比。结字或以补笔续成，如“在”字斜画分段添补，似绘画中“以画入书”的笔法，却不显板滞，反增金石气息。

漆书的审美意趣在于以拙取妍、以厚见巧。方折宽扁的笔画质朴而富于分量，却自带沉静之韵，不失苍茫古意。线条之间时露飞白，若隐若现地透出笔锋的游走痕迹，使章法在凝重中见灵动。其间既可感到汉魏碑版的浑厚气息，又不乏文人书写的率真自然。整体风貌含蓄而别具一格，契合金农所推崇的“自我作古”之旨，亦展现出清代书坛中独特的创造精神。

-
Inscription:

In The Rites of Zhou, the Office of Territorial Administration (Zhifang Shi) records that the mountain of Hua in Henan is known as the Western Sacred Peak (Xiyue).

The Spring and Autumn Annals states:

'Mountains and sacred peaks correspond to Heaven, and Qian determines their position.'

Mountains and peaks facilitate the circulation of vital energies, allowing clouds to move and rain to fall. Through this, they bring forth all things, aligning with the principles of the I Ching (Book of Changes).

The Ritual Canon (Si Dian) further states:

'The sun, moon, stars, and constellations shine upon all; the land, its mountains, and rivers nurture life and reproduction.'