Ai Qing (1910–1996)
Calligraphy on Paper
Dated April 1982
This expressive calligraphic work is written in running script (xingshu) and features the celebrated couplet: “Hai dao jintou tian zuo an, shan deng jueding wo wei feng” (“Where the sea reaches its end, the sky becomes the shore; when one ascends the highest peak, I become the summit”). Executed with bold and confident brushwork, the composition conveys a spirit of ambition, perseverance, and intellectual independence. The inscription at left reads: “Respectfully submitted to Mr. Zhou Cezong for correction, Ai Qing, April 1982,” identifying both the recipient and the date of execution. The work remains unmounted.
Ai Qing is widely regarded as one of the most important Chinese poets of the twentieth century. After studying art in Paris during the early 1930s, he returned to China and became a leading voice in modern Chinese literature. His poems, including Dayanhe—My Nanny and I Love This Land, established his reputation for combining lyrical power with profound humanistic concern. Throughout a career spanning more than half a century, Ai Qing played a pivotal role in shaping modern Chinese poetry and remains one of the most influential literary figures of modern China.
Following years of political persecution during the Cultural Revolution, Ai Qing was rehabilitated in the late 1970s and reemerged as a major cultural figure during the Reform Era. By the early 1980s, when this calligraphy was written, he had regained both national and international prominence. Calligraphic works by Ai Qing are considerably scarcer than his literary publications, and examples bearing personal inscriptions to prominent scholars are especially valued for their historical and documentary significance.
The recipient, Professor Zhou Cezong (1916–2008), was among the most distinguished scholars of modern Chinese history and literature in the United States. A longtime professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Zhou achieved international recognition through his groundbreaking studies of the May Fourth Movement and modern Chinese intellectual history. His influential work The May Fourth Movement: Intellectual Revolution in Modern China remains a foundational text in the field. Beyond his scholarly achievements, Zhou maintained close friendships and correspondence with many of the leading writers, artists, and intellectuals of twentieth-century China.
This work shares the same distinguished provenance as Lot 4097 in the present Summer Fine Sale, a calligraphic couplet inscribed by the celebrated novelist Jin Yong (Louis Cha). Both works originate from the collection of Professor Zhou Cezong and descended through his family. Together, they illustrate Zhou’s remarkable position within an international network of leading Chinese cultural figures. The presence of personal inscriptions from both Ai Qing and Jin Yong—two of the most influential literary voices of modern China—speaks to Zhou’s stature as a scholar, intellectual, and cultural bridge between China and the West.
More than a work of calligraphy, this piece serves as a tangible record of the intellectual and cultural exchanges that connected prominent Chinese writers and overseas scholars during the late twentieth century. Combining literary significance, historical importance, and impeccable provenance, it represents an exceptional document of modern Chinese cultural history.
Unmounted.
{Sheet: 19 x 29 inches (48.2 x 73.6 cm)}.
艾青（1910–1996）
书法 水墨纸本
1982年作
此幅书法以行书书写“海到尽头天作岸，山登绝顶我为峰”十四字，笔势纵横奔放，结体开张舒展，充分体现出诗人豪迈旷达的胸襟与昂扬向上的精神气质。全篇一气呵成，墨色浓淡自然变化，既具有文人书法的率真意趣，又流露出诗人特有的情感力量。左侧边款题：“策纵先生嘱正，艾青，一九八二年四月”，明确记载了作品的受赠者及创作时间。作品未装裱，保存了书写完成后的原始状态。
艾青是二十世纪中国最重要的诗人之一，也是中国现代文学史上最具影响力的文学家之一。早年赴法国留学期间接触欧洲现代艺术与文学思潮，回国后积极参与新文学运动，以《大堰河——我的保姆》《北方》《黎明的通知》《我爱这土地》等作品奠定其在中国现代诗坛的重要地位。艾青的诗歌以真挚深沉的情感、鲜明的时代意识和强烈的人文关怀著称，对中国现代诗歌的发展产生了深远影响。其作品被广泛译介至世界各国，是国际社会认识中国现代文学的重要窗口之一。
经历二十世纪中国社会的剧烈变迁后，艾青于改革开放初期重返文坛，并迅速恢复其在中国文化界的重要地位。二十世纪八十年代正是其创作与社会活动重新活跃的时期，他频繁参与国内外文化交流，并与众多学者、作家及海外华人知识分子保持往来。本幅作品创作于1982年，正值艾青重新获得广泛声誉之际，因此不仅具有艺术价值，也具有特殊的时代背景意义。
本幅作品的受赠者周策纵教授（1916–2008）是国际知名的中国近现代史与中国文学研究学者，长期任教于美国威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校。周氏以研究“五四运动”及中国近代思想文化史享誉国际，其代表作《五四运动史》至今仍被视为该领域最具影响力的经典研究之一。作为海外中国学的重要奠基人之一，周策纵培养了大批研究中国历史与文化的学者，并长期致力于促进中美学术交流。
除历史学研究外，周策纵本人亦是一位重要的文学研究者和文化活动家。他与胡适、梁实秋、余光中、夏志清、赵元任、杨联陞等海内外知名学者均有交往，同时也与艾青、臧克家等中国现代文学界的重要人物保持联系。其个人收藏中保存了大量名家题赠书画、信札与文献资料，成为研究二十世纪中国知识分子网络的重要实物见证。
值得注意的是，本幅作品与本次 Summer Fine Sale 中的 Lot 4097 的金庸对联同样出自周策纵教授旧藏，两件作品均直接来源于周氏家族。二者共同反映了周策纵作为海外汉学重镇与中国文化界之间的重要纽带角色。对于二十世纪后期的中国作家而言，周策纵不仅是学术权威，更是连接中国与国际学术界的重要桥梁；而对于海外学界而言，他则是理解中国现代历史与文化的重要引路人。艾青将此书法专门题赠周策纵，正体现了两位文化名人之间的相互敬重与深厚友谊。
因此，此作不仅是一件书法艺术作品，更是一份兼具文学史、学术史与文化交流史价值的重要文献。它记录了中国现代诗歌代表人物与海外中国学大师之间的交往历史，也折射出改革开放初期中国文化界与国际学术界重新建立联系的重要时代背景。无论从艺术价值、文献价值还是来源传承而言，本作品均具有值得重视的收藏与研究意义。
未装裱。
{画心：高19 × 宽29英寸（48.2 × 73.6厘米）}。
Sheet is folded in tens which shows creases. Foxing at an edge. Minor tears all along the edges. A few punctures on sheet. Handling wear. For condition report, please contact the Asian Art Department.
