The Art of Immortal Living – Yang Ningshi's Cursive Masterpiece

Yang Ningshi (873–954) was one of the great calligraphers of the Five Dynasties period. Historical records describe him as eccentric and mentally unstable, which led to the nickname “Yang the Mad”. He was known for writing spontaneously on walls after drinking. In his later years, he lived in Luoyang, and it's said that he covered the walls of temples and Taoist monasteries throughout the city with his writing.

The Art of Immortal Living is the earliest of Yang Ningshi’s surviving authentic works. It's eight lines long, written when he was 76, and records some Taoist meditation secrets. The transitions between characters are full of variety, demonstrating his extraordinary brush skills. Yang's calligraphy absorbed the best of the old masters while breaking new ground, paving the way for later cursive script artists.

The piece itself, plus the mounting paper on the sides, is smaller than a square foot (33.3 cm × 33.3 cm), but it's packed with over seventy collector seals from various dynasties. Late Ming collector Xiang Yuanbian alone added thirty collector’s seals. Over the centuries, it passed through the hands of Emperor Gaozong, the powerful minister Jia Sidao, the Yuan dynasty master calligrapher Zhao Mengfu, and the Qing imperial collection, before ending up where it is today—the Palace Museum in Beijing.