Wang Xizhi (321-379, another 303-361), named Yishao, was born in Linyi, Langya (now Linyi, Shandong), and later lived in Shanyin, Kuaiji (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang). His father, Wang Kuang, served as the governor of Danyang in Huainan and the internal historian of Kuaiji. Uncle Wang Dao lived in the three dynasties of Emperor Yuan, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Cheng, rising from general to prime minister, and up to Taifu. Xizhi was not good at eloquence when he was young, but when he grew up, he was outstanding in eloquence and had an upright character, which earned him a good reputation. Xi Jian, the captain of the Jin Dynasty, selected him as his son-in-law. The allusion of "flat belly and east bed" comes from Wang Xizhi (see "Shishuo Xinyu Yaliang"). The ministers of the imperial court valued Wang Xizhi's talents and repeatedly called him to serve as an official, but he declined. Later, he joined the army as a general of the Western Expedition, Qing Liang, and moved to a long history, becoming a general in Ningyuan, the governor of Jiangzhou, and then the general of the Youjun Army and the internal history of Kuaiji. He is known as "Wang Youjun" and "Wang Kuaiji" in the world. Later, he had a disagreement with the King of Taiyuan, resigned from his post due to illness, and retired to Kuaiji, where he died in a comfortable state.
Wang Xizhi loved to practice calligraphy since he was a child, and was inspired by his father Wang Kuang and uncle Wang Xi. He was good at reading at the age of seven. At the age of twelve, he secretly read the "Bi Lun" of the previous generation from his father's pillow. Wang Kuang was good at writing and official calligraphy; Wang Xizhi was good at calligraphy and painting. Wang Sengqian's "On Calligraphy" once commented: "Since crossing the east of the Yangtze River, before the Youjun Army, Wei Zhen was the best. His paintings were the masters of the Jin and Ming emperors, and his books were the Youjun Laws." Wang Xizhi grew up since he was a child. He was deeply influenced by calligraphy from the Wang family.
Wang Xizhi also learned calligraphy from Mrs. Wei in his early years. Wei Shuo learned from Zhong Yao and passed on his method wonderfully. She taught Wang Xizhi Zhong Yao's method, Wei's method of practicing calligraphy for several generations, and her own calligraphy style and method. "Book Review of the Tang Dynasty" said: "Mrs. Wei's books are like a flower-arranging dancer, with a low posture and beauty. It is also like a beautiful woman on the stage, a fairy making shadows, red lotus reflecting water, and green marsh floating clouds." Modern scholar Shen Yinmo analyzed: "Xizhi learned from Mrs. Wei The calligraphy was naturally influenced by her, and she followed Zhong's method at first, and the beautiful custom was also formed from it. Later, after exploring the ancient traces of seal script and official script since the Qin and Han Dynasties, it was different from the new style of Zhong's method passed down by Mrs. Wei, so she was very interested in the teacher. It is said that Xizhi was dissatisfied. This is just as understandable as the later generations of calligraphers who started from Tie studies and became interested in changing their studies once they saw the stele. Where there is no end, there are deep roots." ("A Glimpse of the Calligraphy of Two Kings")
Wang Xizhi was good at turning to many teachers. When he broke away from the barriers of Mrs. Wei's calligraphy, he was already in the new world. of history. He once recounted this historical turning point: "As a young man, Xi studied the writings of Mrs. Wei, and he was said to be a great leader; when he crossed the Yangtze River and traveled to famous mountains in the north, he saw the writings of Li Si, Cao Xi, etc.; and under the promise, he saw the writings of Zhong Jue and Liang Hu; and of Luo Next, I saw Cai Yong's "The Stone Classic" in three volumes; and after talking to my brother Cong, I saw Zhang Chang's "Huayue Stele", and then I learned about Mrs. Wei's calligraphy, but it was a waste of time...so I changed to my own teacher. "Learn from the monuments." From this passage, we can see Wang Xizhi's experience and intention of constantly broadening his horizons, learning widely, and exploring the source of truth.
Wang Xizhi has high aspirations and is creative. If he learns from Zhong Yao, he will be able to melt himself. Zhong's book is still translated, and the real book also has a divided style. The pen is still extended outward, with the momentum of flying birds, the so-called tail wave of Zhong's falcon. Wang Xizhi likes to chase with his hands, but it is easy to turn into a song, which reduces his potential. Use the pen to hold it inward, and use it to turn without folding. The so-called right army "stretches the pen and goes straight down." When he studied Zhang Zhi, he also came up with his own expressions. Zhang Huaigeng of the Tang Dynasty once pointed out this point in "Shu Duan": "When analyzing Zhang Gong's grass, it is dense and eclectic, which is a shame for his mastery; although Zhongjun's official work is used to increase the splendor, it is not elegant, and it is necessary to study the essence of the body. "Wang Xizhi can "analyse" and "compromise" Zhang Zhi's cursive calligraphy, "profit and loss" and "application" of Zhong Yao's official calligraphy, and he can "refiner the style" of these two masters of calligraphy. Shen Yinmo praised Yang Dao: Wang Xizhi never put clay at the feet of his predecessors and painted gourds in the same way. Instead, he used his own mind and hands to make the ancients serve him, not to cling to the past, nor to deviate from the present. He integrated all the different calligraphy techniques of Qin and Han Dynasty seal scripts that he had learned from the Expo in his life into the Zhenxing cursive style, thus forming the best style of his era, bringing out the old and bringing out the new, and opening up a new world for future generations. This is the reason why Wang Xizhi is highly praised for his "collection of various teachings to form a family".
The calligraphers Qu Yi and Xi Min who were at the same time as Wang Xizhi were both famous, but Wang Xizhi was not as humble as them.
Legend has it that Qu Liang once asked Wang Xizhi for a calligraphy, and Xizhi replied: "(Qu) Yi is over there, how can it be false?" When Qu Yi was in Jingzhou, he saw people actually imitating Wang Xizhi's calligraphy style, and he didn't take it seriously. He once said: "The younger generation is like this!" A humble chicken, a lover of wild ducks, all learn from (Wang) Yi Shao's book, and I must return it and compare it with him." But later when Qu Yi saw Wang Xizhi's reply to Qu Liang's Zhang Cao, he was convinced and wrote to Wang Xizhi: "I In the past, Boying wrote ten pieces of paper and crossed the river, but then he lost it. Suddenly, he saw his brother's letter, and he suddenly returned to his old outlook. A reflection of constantly climbing from one level to a higher level. Wang Xizhi was able to break away from the conventions and constantly surpass others and himself; his creation and development were accompanied by the development of his own life and the completion and realization of his value ideals. For example, Tao Hongjing said: "Yishao has not been named since before Wuxing. All good deeds are attributed to those who were in the ten years of Kuaiji and Yonghe." ("Lun Shu Qi") Yu (羠HE) also said: " "Xizhi's calligraphy is unique in its beginning and end, and is incomparable to Qu Yi's and Xi Min's. In his last years, he was at his best." ("On Book Lists")
Wang Xizhi has a free and easy and beautiful appearance. "At that time, people's eyes were like the king's right army, floating like clouds, as powerful as a frightening dragon", and he had a rich inner world. Metaphysics was prevalent in the Jin Dynasty, and Lao-Zhuang philosophy was advocated. Therefore, his thinking on life, society, and nature was certainly influenced by it. At the beginning of the Jin Dynasty's journey to the south, he saw the beautiful mountains and rivers in Kuaiji and had the ambition to die in old age. After resigning and going into seclusion, the mountain valley went up, and the mountains and rivers reflected each other. Naturally, I felt overwhelmed. He also went boating on the sea, collecting medicinal stones from far away places, purging his mind of dust and worries, accepting the beauty of all things in nature, and discovering the profound subtleties of the universe, which was confirmed in the art of calligraphy. , How can you reach the top without being inspired by nature?”
Wang Xizhi's poem "Orchid Pavilion" writes: "Looking up at the blue sky, overlooking the Lushui River. There are few cliffs, and the view is self-explanatory. The great creation of chemical industry is all uneven. Although the group of sounds is The difference is nothing but new.” Zong Baihua, a contemporary esthetician, commented: It really represents the world view inspired by the pure mind and deep feeling of Jin people. "Although the sounds of the group are different, they are nothing but new to me." It can especially be written that Jin people understand the world with a fresh, lively and free mind, making everything they touch reveal a new soul and a new life. Therefore, "viewing the truth tells itself", this truth is not a mechanical and outdated truth, but the deepest truth contained in the lively vitality of the universe. Wang Xizhi also wrote another poem: "It is not my business to strive for the first place, but to be still and shine is to forget to ask for it." Zong Baihua believes that "stillness to shine" is the starting point of all art and aesthetic life. The literature and art of Jin people are infiltrated with this fresh and lively philosophical spirit of "still shining in forgetfulness" and "what suits me is nothing but new" ("On (Shi Shuo Xin Yu) and the Beauty of Jin People"). We can understand and understand the soul of Wang Xizhi's book from the above analysis.