(1) Understand the evolution of ancient and modern calligraphy.
The evolution of calligraphy has a cause and effect. From Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Shang Dynasty to the present, 5000 years have been undoubtedly revealed. If you don't know the history of calligraphy when you appreciate it, it's a big waste to compare official script with cursive script and regular script, just like Zhang Fei and Yue Fei appear in one scene at the same time in a historical movie.
(2) Understand the ancient and modern background of calligraphers.
Wang Xizhi's famous Preface to the Lanting Pavilion was written when he was slightly drunk, but he couldn't write a better work after many attempts? If you don't know, you can't deeply appreciate the Preface to the Lanting Pavilion, because you can't figure out its context and the meaning of the pen is unpredictable.
(3) knowledge of philology
Calligraphers love to make a fuss about words. Sometimes, in order to change, they combine various fonts (such as official script and cursive script) into one font, and sometimes they learn from Cangjie to create words and add and subtract strokes for words. If a foreigner with a little knowledge of Chinese mistook "mountain" and "Sect" for "worship", the overall sense of calligraphy would disappear, and the space and size would lose their aesthetic feeling. Similarly, one does not know which is official script and which is crazy grass, and the consequences of confusion can be imagined.
(4) Have the ability to identify inscriptions.
Appreciating calligraphy must have the ability to identify rubbings, and it will be unimaginable to avoid appreciating fake rubbings without knowing it.
(5) Have written skills.
As the saying goes, "an expert looks at the doorway, a layman looks at the excitement". If you don't know the writing skills, you can't really appreciate the beauty of calligraphy. The beauty of pen and ink is the focus of calligraphy appreciation. How can you appreciate the beauty of pen and ink without knowing the writing method and experiencing it personally? This is why most connoisseurs are also good calligraphers.
(6) artistic accomplishment.
In fact, to appreciate any kind of art, you must devote yourself to it as if you were in it. Only by looking attentively can we really feel the strength, posture, charm and charm, and it is meaningful to appreciate calligraphy.