Yan Zhenqing's life experience of calligraphy realm.
The first realm: strengthen the bones and seek the style of writing.
Before the age of 50, it can be said that it is the first level of experience. In this process, I initially established my own "face". If Zhang Xu awarded Yan Zhenqing the brushwork in Pei's home in the fifth year of Tianbao (746), then Yan Zhenqing was still in a difficult exploration stage before that. The works handed down from generation to generation at this stage are rare. For example, in the first year of Tianbao, he wrote Zhang Renyun's Political Monument, and in the fifth year of Tianbao, he wrote the word "Longxi" on Cliff Calligraphy and Heshan Stone Wall. At this time, Yan Zhenqing had achieved considerable accomplishment in calligraphy. When Zhang Xukao asked Yan Zhenqing's twelve tricks, Yan Zhenqing either learned from Zhang Xu or answered what he had learned, which impressed Zhang deeply. He is ambitious, aiming at "keeping up with the ancients". Zhang Xu is therefore willing to give brushwork again.
Yan Zhenqing accepted Zhang Xu's brushwork and said with delight, "It's wonderful to attack books from now on. Five years later (or seven years later), I really know that this can be done. " Therefore, the five years (or seven years) after Tianbao's five years can be said to be the stage of Yan Zhenqing's efforts to hone according to Zhang Xu's guidance. Sure enough, eleven years after Tianbao, there are more and more calligraphy tablets in Yan Zhenqing, which has enjoyed a certain reputation in the society. The eleven-year books of Tianbao include Guo Monument, Guo Yan Monument, Duota Monument and Confucius Temple Monument. In the 13th year of Tianbao, there were masterpieces such as Dong Fangshuo Portrait Praise and Dong Fangshuo Portrait Praise Monument Seal Ji. In the 14th year of Tianbao, An Lushan rebelled, and Yan Zhenqing was preoccupied with fighting the rebels, so he had no time to care about the art of writing. This can be said to be the first stage of Yan's calligraphy experience and the first realm of experience.
During this period, although there may be differences in the appearance of each monument, on the whole, it was the initial formation stage of "Yan Di". From the analysis of many pagodas and other typical works, it can be seen that Yan Zhenqing pursues calm and heroic pen, vigorous bone strengthening and thick flesh color painting; The structure is dense, dignified and deep, changing from slender to square; Reduce the spacing of lines on the cloth and become dense. At this stage, what Yan Zhenqing pursues in Xiong is the realm of charm: pointillism has bones and muscles, pointillism is pure and charming, and its strength and danger make it clear and charming. Besides, he basically specializes in learning real books and cursive scripts. Although there are official scripts and seal scripts, there are not many. Yan Zhenqing's first realm came from the early Tang Dynasty, which broke away from the track of the early Tang Dynasty and stood on its own feet. The experience of this realm is based on Zhang Xu's example.
The second realm: study the subtlety in the word and seek the grandeur outside the word.
From 50 to 65, it can be said that it is a second realm experience. In this process, "Yan Ti" has both form and spirit, and gradually matures. In the meantime, his works include Jin Tianwang Temple's Inscription (758), Poem Inscription Table of Xiaoyaolou (758), Biography of Fairy Jade Leaving the Pile (762), Erase Biography (762), Yan Yunan's Inscription (762), Wei Zhenbei (763) and Zang. Yin Jianyou Monument (770), Zhang Monument (770), Love Monument (770), Baoying Temple Altar Memorial (77 1), Magu Mountain Xiantan (77 1).
After experiencing the turmoil of "An Shi Rebellion" and being imprisoned again and again, he expanded his spiritual space again and again. Scholar-soldier-commander-in-chief, standing in North Korea-standing in North Korea, with frequent lifestyle changes, more life experience and deeper artistic taste. These, Yan Zhenqing's "One Book", have repeatedly tempered the early "Yan Ti", refined in form and spirit, making both spirit and form, and finally maturing. As you can see, he strengthened his wrist, moved the center, adopted the printing method, and moved the circle to the front line in Tibet, such as Yin Yinni. The strokes form the swallowtail of the silkworm head, while the straight drawing forms the shape of a crossbow. The contrast between strokes is complicated. Pinch the end of the hook, kick out the sharp edge and show off its spirit. His brushwork shows a tortuous rhythm. Its straight hook, flat hook and inclined hook are full of potential, with uniform curvature and strong roundness. Its folding pen is secretly rotated by holding the pen, forming an inclined plane to fold down, and it is drawn by "folding pin". Structurally, it is dignified and steady, with a wide middle palace and dense shapes around it. It does not occupy the lateral advantage of the center of gravity, nor does it occupy the left and right advantages, but shows people with a symmetrical positive image like turning inside. On the white cloth, there are rows of words and dense lines, and the momentum is taken by shape, not by thinning.
At this point, Yan Zhenqing swept away the regular script style since the early Tang Dynasty: the former is square and the latter is positive; The former is beautiful and the latter is strong; The former is elegant and the latter is straightforward; The former is thin and the latter is fat; The former has profound statutes, while the latter has laws to follow; The former is decorated with flowers, while the latter is full of vitality. It can be said that it is reform and innovation, and the male soul casts a "face."
The third realm: the change of immortals and the romance of life.
More than ten years after the age of 65 can be said to be the experience of the third realm. From maturity to magic, every monument has its own glory. The works of this period include stele (772), Ganlu Zishu (774), Yan Gao Qing stele (774), Miaoxi Temple stele (774), Zhushantang (774), and Li stele (777), etc. Taking typical steles such as Yan stele and Yanjiamiao stele as examples, Yan Shu is full of vividness in the old and spicy.
Confucius said, "Sixty is pleasant to the ear, seventy is satisfactory, and it doesn't go beyond the limit." Yan Zhenqing also reached this level in his later years. He has a thorough understanding of life and calligraphy in reflection, and has a thorough understanding of the philosophy of life and calligraphy, so his paintings are mottled with blood and tears of life, and are full of life carols in the movement of pen and ink; It not only fills a cavity of pride in the ups and downs of the lines, but also inspires personality brilliance in the dense white! At this point, his book is like an ancient forest, but it has dense flowers and buds. A book full of anger, a thousand schools of thought contend.
The above mainly introduces the situation of Yan Zhenqing's regular script, and its outstanding cursive art will be introduced in Yan Xie Shuying below.
Yan Zhenqing has opened up a brand-new and magnificent realm of calligraphy: Yan's physique is brand-new, her statutes are severe and her momentum is magnificent. From the aesthetic point of view, the beauty of modesty, masculinity and affectation are integrated into one, which sets an example for future generations. From the perspective of the times, the early Tang dynasty inherited the rest of the Jin and Song dynasties, but failed to stand on its own feet. As soon as Yan Ti came out, a new style was cast in the altar of the Tang Dynasty, which became one of Yang Zhi with distinctive weather in the prosperous Tang Dynasty.
Times have created the realm of Yan Shu, just as times have created the realm of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the society was in turmoil for a long time, but the cultural history became a shining era. The art of calligraphy in this era has become an art and skill that literati consciously entrust with lofty spirit. They deeply discovered the external beauty of nature and the internal beauty of spirit. Wang Xizhi is the "book saint" created by this era. However, the Tang Dynasty entered the most glorious era in the ancient history of China. The politics, economy and military affairs of the Tang Empire surpassed the past and reached its peak, and culture and art blossomed. People face the great progress of society with new eyes and values. Emperor Taizong was good at Wang Youjun's calligraphy, personally praised the Biography of the Book of Jin, bought it at a large price, and decided to copy it, and extended the Preface to Lanting to the nobles, so the literati lived in the right army. Yu Shinan, Ou Yangxun, Chu Suiliang and Xue Qi all had their own achievements in the early Tang Dynasty, but they failed to really create a new style of calligraphy for the Tang Dynasty.
Yan Zhenqing is a pioneer in creating a new style. He was a minister in the Tang Dynasty and a descendant of the calligrapher's family. He is very concerned about the evolution of calligraphy. Han Yu once laughed at "the vulgar book of harmony tends to be charming." His one-sided view is that he failed to correctly evaluate Wang Shu, but his original intention is to establish a new value and aesthetic view from his own time. Therefore, Du Fu's poems, Korean's poems and Yan Shu's poems all stand on their own feet in the new era. "Get rid of Yan, accept the ancient method in the new idea, and give birth to the new method in addition to the ancient meaning. Vientiane, Tao Zhu, each has its own strengths. Poems of Shaoling and essays of Changli can rise and fall in the Eight Dynasties, so it became a book of the Tang Dynasty "("Lin Shu Zao Jian "). Yan Shu's admiration for bone, fat and law, dignity, broadness and boldness, and attention to momentum, courage and heroism can be found in the society of the Tang Dynasty. Yan Zhenqing created the sound of the prosperous Tang Dynasty in calligraphy, which is the magnificent realm of Yan Shu.
Judging from the broad atmosphere of Yan Zhenqing's education in Tao Zhu, his calligraphy realm can be regarded as eclectic, so as to reach its height, learn from others and reach its breadth. There are several main reasons for this:
One is from Yan's system. Yan Shigu's grandfather Yan Zhitui studied calligraphy and was good at it. Since the Southern Dynasties, Zhenqing's ancestors praised cursive script for people at that time. Among Yan Zhenqing's contemporaries, such as Yan Yaoqing and Yan, they are also quite accomplished in calligraphy, and they are all good at calligraphy. Therefore, Yan Zhenqing was deeply influenced by calligraphy, and Yan's calligraphy tradition inspired him. He even thought that "speaking of that boy, it was a great loss". Therefore, Yan Zhenqing's goal of "being consistent with the ancients" in calligraphy has many considerations, including the development of Yan's calligraphy tradition.
The second is the system from Yin. The Yin family also produced many famous calligraphers. Yan and Yin have been married for generations, and the two calligraphy studies have converged. Yan Zhenqing's father and uncle were lonely and grew up in the home of his uncle Yin Zhongrong, who was "able to write for the world" at that time, and were taught brushwork. Yan Zhenqing was taught by his mother, Mrs Yin, and absorbed the nutrition of Yin calligraphy.
Thirdly, I got a true biography from a generation of Cao Sheng Zhang Xu. Yan Zhenqing admired Zhang Xu very much, and sincerely learned from Zhang Xu, and won his teaching. He paid special attention to learning Zhang Xu's writing method, the theory of magic pen and the beauty of attacking books. This is extremely important for the formation of Yan Shu.
Fourth, inherit and develop from a generation of master Chu Suiliang. The predecessors said that the state of Yan was Chu. Mi Fei's "Yan Yan Shu" said: "Yan Zhenqing learns from Chu Suiliang." Many people have confirmed this statement today. Shen said: "Yan Pingyuan's calligraphy originated in the south of Chu River, and its regular script structure is rigorous, which often has the wind of missing Buddhist temples and monuments." Commentators may say that it is easier to find communication with Chu Suiliang in brushwork, structure and fineness from works with fine strokes, such as Magu Mountain Xiantan, Jingju Temple Title and Song Guangping Monument.
Fifth, learn from folk calligraphy. From Yan Zhenqing's early calligraphy works, such as Pagoda Monument, we can see that it is closely related to folk calligraphy style. Sha Menghai and others also believe that the richness and dignity of Yan Shu comes from the inscriptions in the Northern Qi and Sui Dynasties. Sha Menghai once pointed out in his works that from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui Dynasty, the characteristics of genuine books can be divided into two types: oblique tight knot and horizontal wide knot, which have always influenced the Tang and Song Dynasties. Chu Suiliang and Yan Zhenqing belong to the latter type, they inherited the official law and retained the official intention. Among them, it is subdivided into two ways. Chu belongs to Xiulang Tingting all the way, and Yan belongs to round strength all the way. The main spirit of Yan Zhenqing's original works comes from Mount Tai Diamond Sutra, Manjusri Scripture, Jing Jun Yinbei and Caozhi Temple Monument since the Northern Qi Dynasty. This is related to the Yan clan. Yanshi is an ancient family in Qilu, and several generations have been studying ancient philology and calligraphy. The characters in Yan's works are closely related to the preserved remains of the Northern Qi and Sui Dynasties.
The above briefly explains several sources of Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy, but it does not mean that there are only these sources. Yan Zhenqing studied under Wang Xizhi, Ou Yangxun and Yu Shinan. , not one by one analysis. He learned a lot of books, instead of being a "slave book", he really became a powerful "self".