Letter from Yang Weizhen on Requesting Donations for Zhenjing Temple

CHINA; Yuan dynasty

This scroll was written by Yang Weizhen with the purpose of canvassing funds to support Zhenjing Temple. It contains 145 characters in 42 lines and commences with the long history of the temple and its prestige. Despite its reputation, the temple considered itself in dire need of wealthy sponsors for sustenance, thus prompting this request to be written.
Yang’s calligraphy boasts a peculiar toughness which is consistently stylized through his forceful strokes and strong, energetic lines. Script styles interchange between running and regular, while characters strongly contrast between varying degrees of large and small proportions. The character form and style depart from common aesthetic norms, an aspect that mirrors the often unorthodox and unyielding temperament of the calligrapher. It was with this aloofness that Yan was able to set himself apart from the prevalent style defined by Zhao Mengfu, establishing his own signature.