First, calligraphers have different groups. Calligraphers in the Southern Dynasties were mostly upper-class aristocrats, while those in the Northern Dynasties were anonymous. This can be seen from the number of words on both sides in Dou Yuan's Shu Fu in the Tang Dynasty: * * 82 in the Southern Dynasty, and only 1 in the Northern Dynasty (Liu Min). Although some important figures such as Zheng Daozhao have appeared in Trace, there are still some in quantity. Of course, it should be noted that the foundation of Dou is mainly ink, and the activities of calligraphers in the Northern Dynasties are relatively less prominent.
Second, the forms of book traces are different. Letters are typical in the Southern Dynasties, and stone carvings are the bulk in the Northern Dynasties. The former is a continuation of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and the latter is a remote connection with the tradition of the Han Dynasty. These two points * * * reflect that there are differences in the understanding of the function, significance and value of calligraphy between the north and the south: the former attaches importance to the display function of its subject spirit, while the latter attaches importance to its practical application and beautification function. This difference can also be seen from Yan Zhitui's related exposition in Yan Family Instructions.
Third, the main application of font differences. The Southern Dynasties inherited the tradition of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and cursive script was the main writing style, while the Northern Dynasties mainly used regular script.
Taken together, these three aspects form the overall difference between the north and the south: one is romantic and aesthetic, the other is simple and heavy; A gentle and charming, a heroic; Both have high aesthetic value. Of course, our analysis in this way does not mean that the north and the south are completely opposed. In fact, there were still many people who liked cursive scripts in the Northern Dynasties, but no traces of books have been found so far. The writing of folk or frontier stone carvings in the Southern Dynasties is quite similar to that in the Northern Dynasties. This shows that there is a certain division, but when the external conditions are similar, this division may not be so clear. In addition, it should be pointed out that in the late Northern and Southern Dynasties, with the gradual integration of society, the differences in calligraphy styles between the North and the South gradually began to bridge, and this trend became the mainstream in the Sui Dynasty, thus making calligraphy art enter a new stage.
North-South Ink Painting:
Beizong
Fan Kuan, known as "the first painting in the Song Dynasty", learned from the mountains. His "Snow Scene and Cold Forest Map" was called a masterpiece of nature, while Xu Beihong named it "the one I dumped the most among all the treasures in China." It can be seen that Fan Kuan is representative. Its towering peaks, strong momentum, hard pen style and vivid style of mountains and waters push the magnificent territory of Beizong to the extreme.
Li Cheng, who is called "the first in ancient and modern times" by some people, has a sparse weather, clear clouds, brilliant front and exquisite brushwork. His unique plain style is cherished by the ruling and opposition parties. Unfortunately, the original work has not been seen so far, and the legend of reading the tablet and the time map may be replicas. However, this refined rhyme style has a far-reaching influence on later generations. His cirrus clouds and peaceful clouds not only fascinated Xu Daoning, Guo, but also became a landscape master with the idea of dead wood and bamboo stones.
In a word, the prose of English and autumn, the martial arts of Chiang Kai-shek and the wind of closing to the outside world constitute the main style of the Northern Song Dynasty. Since Hao Jing began to write a chapter, the method of landscape painting in China has reached a new peak from maturity, and it is no exaggeration to say that it has achieved iconic achievements of one hundred generations.
Nanzong
Hao Jing opened the scenery in the north, and Dong Yuan opened the scenery in the south.
Nanzong's method is also the result of seeing nature with both eyes. The water in the south of the Yangtze River is elegant, and the weather is different from Taihang Mountain or Guanshan Mountain. Its gentle and continuous mountains, warm and clean vegetation, simple and elegant water and sky, and the fun of fishing boats singing late all symbolize another world.
In this world, the Six Ancestors' Revolution, which originated from Huineng, made Nan Chan's aesthetic thoughts gradually become the main body. The aesthetic taste of the empty and bright realm, the pursuit of a product as light as water, has been expressed and has become the focus of scholars' attention for a time Wang Wei took the concept of pure heart as the logical starting point, introduced Zen into painting, and took the lead in expressing the realm of pure heart and emptiness with ink and wash. "Yi" has become the most important aesthetic category alongside "God" for the first time. There are two main meanings of Wang Wei: first, painting with poetry, relaxing and Zen, giving people an idyllic peace, and the image is far from painting, which is quite resistant to chewing. Second, ink painting is the law, and the order law of ink painting mentions the height of art for the first time. It can be described as poetic and picturesque to express poetic Zen with the same emotional appeal as water. In view of Mojie's high cultural accomplishment, his pen and ink have always been highly praised by later scholars. Landscape painting, as a "for yourself" article, and literati painting, as an escape from "for yourself", can be said from the ink world. From this moment on, ink and wash articles have been marked with the theory of saints and become a template for people to understand so far.
It was Dong Yuan, the ambassador of Beiyuan in Southern Tang Dynasty who completed the integration of ink and wash system. Dong Beiyuan took the scenery in the south of the Yangtze River as a picture scroll, which opened the imitation of "simplicity, innocence, harmony and tranquility" by Nanshe. If the influence is discussed, it can be called the originator (master) of the painting system since the Five Dynasties.