This work presents PU Tzu’s transcription of selections from Li Bai’s Ancient Airs: Fifty-Nine Poems (nos. 16–21). PU Tzu’s cursive style draws upon the calligraphy style of the late Ming period, with particular attention to masters such as Wang Chong, Xu Wei, and Fu Shan. Late Ming literati emphasized sincerity and emotional expression: their cursive writing adhered to rules of form while allowing for freedom and spontaneity. This spirit resonated deeply with PU Tzu’s own temperament and artistic pursuit.
Li Bai’s Ancient Airs has long been cherished by generations of scholars and frequently served as a subject for calligraphic inscription. This particular work was modeled after the style of Wang Chong. Known by his courtesy name Lu-ji and sobriquet Yayishanren, Wang Chong was celebrated alongside Zhu Yunming and Wen Zhengming as one of the “Three Masters of Wu.” His brushwork drew inspiration from the Two Wangs (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi) while developing a fresh character. His lines are supple and refined, his structures spacious and graceful, and his style elegant yet disciplined.

In this transcription, PU Tzu preserved Wang Chong’s characteristic roundness, fluidity, and spatial composure, while at the same time infusing the writing with his own sense of speed and tension. Beyond echoing Wang’s style, the work emphasizes variation of strokes and rhythmic progression. Compared with Wang Chong, PU Tzu’s brushwork is broader and more expansive, his lines weighty yet supple, his characters graceful yet dramatic. It stands as a representative example of PU Tzu’s ability to draw from antiquity while transforming it into a distinctly modern expression.