Critique on the Poet Su Shi in Semicursive Script (Xingshu)

Ye Yanlan's interest in the art of the Northern Song dynasty (960–1126) is apparent in the group of works he collected or created in styles of this era. This interest may have come from the prestige and aesthetic interests associated with the Northern Song, which has long been considered the classic period of Chinese painting and calligraphy. However, Yanlan may also have seen this dynasty as one in which China dealt with issues similar to those faced during his own lifetime. Particularly attracted to the aesthetics and themes of Su Shi (aka Su Dongpo)—a painter, calligrapher, and poet of the late eleventh century— Yanlan may have empathized with Su and even viewed him as a model.

This calligraphy concerns Ye Yanlan's research on a particular work by Su Shi. Su was inspired by a certain monk's poem while traveling around West Lake in Hangzhou, and Yanlan wrote of Su's discovery of this poem and its contents.