石渠寶笈續編(寧壽宮),第五冊,頁2625&故宮書畫錄(卷一),第一冊,頁27&懷素(西元七二五-七七七年後),長沙人,後徙京兆。字藏真,俗姓錢,幼出家為僧,以草書擅名當時。 本幅全文自敘其平生事,款大曆丁巳(七七七),時五十三歲。懷素自敘,世有三本,一在石陽休家,一在馮當世家,一在蘇舜欽家,本卷即蘇氏所藏者。全卷筆法瘦硬圓勁,使筆飛動圓轉,如錐畫沙。&Huai-su (style name Ts'ang-chen) was born into the Ch'ien family in Ch'ang-sha, Hunan. Early in life, he left his family to become a Buddhist monk, changing his name to Huai-su. He was most famous for his cursive script calligraphy. Huai-su wrote this composition in 777, at the age of 52. There are 3 versions of the composition recorded in traditional Chinese catalogues;one in the collection of Shih Yang-hsiu; one in that of Feng Tang-shih; and the other in that of Su Shun-ch'ing. The present scroll is that from the Su collection. The brushwork here is exceptionally fine and forceful. The strokes were all rapidly executed and the characters are almost completely connected to one another for a sense of speed and flow.