In the history of Chinese calligraphy, few are more famous than the eighth-century statesman Yan Zhenqing (709-785). His style is still taught today as a standard, and Chinese bookstores the world over stock inexpensive reproductions of his works for sale as copybooks.
Yet Yan's style cannot be called conventionally attractive. "Correct," "severe," "serious," "forceful" are terms habitually applied to describe his writing--rarely has his calligraphy been called graceful or beautiful. How, then, did Yan earn such an eminent place in the history of art?
In The Upright Brush, Amy McNair argues for the political rather than purely aesthetic basis for Yan Zhenqing's artistic reputation. She shows how his prominent position was made for him in the eleventh century by a handful of influential men who sought to advance their own position by associating themselves with Yan's reputation for uprightness. Equating style with personality, they adopted Yan's calligraphic style as a way to clothe themselves in his persona.
Please refer to the welcome email which you received when purchasing or renewing your membership. At the bottom of this email, you will find your online member discount code. BEFORE checking out, please click on 'view cart' and type in your member code to the 'discount code or gift card' box. Your member discount will then be applied to your order.
If you are unable to locate your welcome email, please contact membership@huntington.org for further assistance.
We endeavor to process your order within 3 days of receipt. Once your order has been processed, packed, and ready to be shipped, you will receive an email with your item's tracking number.
Our couriers are USPS or UPS ground, If you would like your parcel to be shipped via FedEx or other courier, please add a comment in the NOTES section on your order and we will contact you for further information.
If you have selected 'pick up in store' as your delivery method, please wait until you receive an email from us to let you know that your order is ready to be collected.
You do not need a ticket to visit our store or pick up your order.
We accept returns within 30 days of delivery. Please note that food, beverages, teas, coffee, calendars, seasonal items, gift cards, trunk show items, and sale items are final sale and are not refundable.
To initiate a return, please email us at thestore@huntington.org to let us know that you would like to return your order. Then, follow the instructions on the paperwork included in your parcel.
Please note that returns must be received back at our warehouse in original packaging, with tags, and in a clean, resalable condition.
Once we have received your return in good condition, we will process a refund minus your original shipping charge. Please note that funds may take 1-3 days to appear back in your account, depending on your bank's T's and C's or payment method.
