Creative background:
In the 9th year of Jin Yonghe (353), on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month, Wang Xizhi held an elegant collection with 41 celebrities such as Gao Shi Xie An and Sun Chuo in Lanting (now at the foot of Zhu Lan Mountain outside Shaoxing). Participants wrote poems, expressed their arms and copied them into collections. It is recommended that Wang Xizhi, the convener of this gathering, write a preface to record this elegant collection, that is, the preface to Lanting Collection.
The article first describes the time, place and participants of the meeting, which is concise. Then describe the natural environment and surrounding scenery where Lanting is located. The language is concise and orderly. Describe the scenery from the big picture, from far and near, to near and far, to infinity.
First write about mountains and rivers, then write about clean water and turbulence, and then write about the activities of characters and the combination of modality and movement downstream. Then, with the natural search, from the clear blue sky and the faint spring breeze, it is naturally pushed to the vast universe and everything in the world.
During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, metaphysics prevailed for a time, and most of the scholars used Zhuangzi's "Homogeneous Theory" as an excuse to pretend to be enlightened and dismissive. Wang Xizhi is also an eloquent scholar, but he is different from other scholars in political thought and life ideal. This article embodies Wang Xizhi's positive outlook on life, which is in sharp contrast with the inaction advocated by Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi. Give inspiration and thinking to future generations.
Wang Xizhi's calligraphy practice changed from the popular Cao Zhang and moustache to the modern cursive, running and regular script, which was the peak of the change of calligraphy style. His calligraphy letters can be found in various books and posts in Tang Dynasty, Seventeen Posts, Japanese Funeral, Confucius and other famous works. His son Wang Xianzhi is also a calligrapher. Wang Xizhi once instructed Xie An in Chen County, and Xie An's calligraphy became a model.
Wang Xizhi's calligraphy has influenced bookstores from generation to generation. Ou Yangxun, Yu Shinan, Zhu Suiliang, Xue Qi, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan in the Tang Dynasty, Yang Ningshi in the Five Dynasties, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fei and Cai Xiang in the Song Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu in the Yuan Dynasty and Dong Qichang in the Ming Dynasty were all impressed by Wang Xizhi, so they enjoyed the reputation of "book saints".