Dong Qichang has high attainments in the art of calligraphy. Apart from running script and cursive script, regular script is also worth mentioning. So do you know what the characteristics of his regular script are? Below is the relevant content I have collected for you, I hope it will be helpful to you.
Dong Qichang likes regular script, especially small regular script, and he is quite proud of it.
Dong Qichang has been fond of calligraphy since he was a child. He improved his calligraphy skills by copying and studying the masterpieces of calligraphers such as Yan Zhenqing and Wang Xizhi. In addition, Dong Qichang applied what he learned and integrated the strengths of various calligraphers to create his own calligraphy art. The glyphs are elegant and beautiful, and are loved and imitated by future generations.
After continuous learning, Dong Qichang himself was quite satisfied with his small regular script. One of the most famous regular scripts he left behind is the "Three Worlds Imperial Order", written by Dong Qichang in the 70s. This "Three Worlds Edict" is Dong Qichang's sentimental work on life, and it is mainly divided into three parts. The fonts are regular and regular, the strokes are straight, the fonts are beautiful, and the scroll surface is simple and elegant. In addition, Dong Qichang added his own elegant and graceful beauty in the writing process, making "Thirty Emperor's Ming Volume" look respectful but beautiful.
The calligraphy characteristics of the calligrapher Dong Qichang
Dong Qichang’s regular script calligraphy is inspired by studying the calligraphy art of his predecessors on the one hand, and on the other hand, it relies on Dong Qichang’s very high calligraphy skills. Talent, so his calligraphy art had high learning value and research value at that time and even today. The calligraphy works he left behind have also become models for future generations to learn from.
Dong Qichang first learned calligraphy from Yan Zhenqing, then transferred to Yu Shinan, and then abandoned Tang to study Jin. When he saw the authentic works of Mi Fu, Yang Ningshi and Huai Su at the great collector Xiang Zijing's house, he immediately realized the technique of using brushes from Mi Fu's forthrightness and Huai Su's smoothness, and learned from Yang Ningshi's " The mystery of composition is realized in the sparse layout of "Leek Flower Calligraphy", and coupled with the influence of Zen Buddhism, his calligraphy is full of ancient, distant and bookish atmosphere. Dong Qichang can skillfully control the long-edged hair. He uses the brush easily and casually, and his lines are slender, graceful and smooth. However, due to the lack of smooth, pressing, and slow changes, although it achieves elegance, fluttering, and maturity, it is inevitable that the pattern will be monotonous and the writing power will be slippery. The soft characteristics are so prominent in Dong Qichang's calligraphy, which is very consistent with his personal character and aesthetic pursuit.
Dong Qichang’s calligraphy style, which is characterized by soft beauty, became a trend that swept the world on the eve of the collapse of the Ming Dynasty. This objectively reflects the helplessness and avoidance of the real crisis by the scholar-bureaucrats. . From this perspective, Dong Qichang's calligraphy style is contemporary and reflects the so-called "end-of-the-century mentality." Therefore, Kang Youwei, a political reformer in the late Qing Dynasty, criticized Dong Qichang's calligraphy a lot, saying that he was "timid and timid." Like a three-day bride."
When Dong Qichang was at his peak, a calligraphy innovation trend was emerging, with Zhang Ruitu, Huang Daozhou, Ni Yuanlu, Wang Duo and Fu Shan as its representatives. They expressed their rebellion against Dong Qichang's soft style of calligraphy through the contrast of the strokes of the pen, the rapid looping of the lines, the close spacing of the characters, the staggered and steep structure, and the urgent and turbulent layout. Their influence on later generations was extremely profound. At that time, it could not become the mainstream of the times.
Dong Qichang’s calligraphy style has broad social and psychological needs, that is, seeking peace of mind in peace. In this way, it is not difficult for us to understand why the new rulers who replaced the Ming regime, the Manchu aristocrats born out of nomadism and accustomed to war, also appreciated this soft art popular in the previous dynasty. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty was an admirer of Dong Qichang's calligraphy. Due to his advocacy, the strong influence of Dong Qichang's calligraphy lasted for decades before it ended with Emperor Qianlong's admiration for Zhao Mengfu. The influence of Dong Qichang's paintings and art theory will not gradually dissipate until two hundred years later.