Poem Written in Cursive Script (From the Calligraphy Album of Haedong)

Heo Mok

National Museum of Korea

An open book displays two pages of East Asian calligraphy in black ink on aged paper. The text is arranged in vertical columns. This calligraphic work in seal script by Heo Mok (1595-1682, pen-name: Misu) is contained in Haedong myeongpilcheop (A Selection of Calligraphy by Master Calligraphers in Korea). Heo remained faithful to the original form of Confucianism, and in line with this regarded the style of calligraphy developed prior to Wang Xizhi (303-361) to be the ideal. He eventually developed his own style based on the old seal script but characterized by bizarrely trembling strokes. Most of his surviving epitaphs carved on monuments and other calligraphic works display this unique seal script. Accession number: Deoksu919 - 3