Huaisu's Autobigraphy may betray a conscious effort to develop a script form from aesthetic motives; the Chan component of his calligraphy is also significant. Yan Zhenqing's Lament for a Nephew seems, on the other hand, to contain a genuine outpouring of emotion, especially were mistakes are left uncorrected or are blackened out in agitation. There is a clumsiness to Yan Zhenqing's writing that makes it seem more "natural" and less controlled, and so might be considered a truer description of the writer's spirit or mind. |