Four masters of calligraphy

The four great calligraphers are Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fei and Cai Xiang.

Su Shi is natural, Huang Ting is strong, Mi Fei is secluded, and Cai Xiang is rich, each with its own manners, which can be called a boutique. Song Sijia learned from the legacy of Jin and Tang Dynasties, was determined to innovate, and each had its own strengths. People call these four calligraphers "Su Huang Camo". The four of them are considered as typical representatives of calligraphy style in Song Dynasty.

Among the "Song Sijia", the top three are Su Shi (Dongpo), Huang Tingjian (Fu Weng) and Mi Fei (Xiangyang Manshi). Judging from the style of calligraphy, Su Shi is full of ups and downs and innocence; Huang tingjian rises vertically and horizontally, hiding and pulling; Miffy is handsome, bold, calm and happy. They were all good at learning from the ancients, full of innovative spirit and unique book style, and were highly respected by people at that time. They are listed in four schools, and there is no objection to this.

It is generally believed that Cai refers to Cai Xiang (). His calligraphy adopts the method of Jin and Tang dynasties and pays attention to the ancient meaning and statutes. But some people think it is Cai Jing, but who it refers to has been controversial.

Four masterpieces of calligraphy

1, Su Shi-Cold Food Post

Cold food post is also called Huangzhou cold food poem post or Huangzhou cold food post. This is a book written by Su Shi. It is plain ink, horizontal 34.2 cm, vertical 18.9 cm, 17 lines, 129 characters. It is now in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

This post is the masterpiece of Su Shi's running script. This is a poem to send a revival, and it is a sigh of life caused by Su Shi's relegation to Huangzhou for three years. The poem is desolate and affectionate, expressing Su Shi's melancholy and lonely mood at this time. The whole calligraphy is full of ups and downs, radiant and unrestrained, and there is no shortage of pens. Cold food poems have a great influence in the history of calligraphy, which is called "the third running script in the world" and is also a leader in Su Shi's calligraphy works.

2, Huang Tingjian-"Song Fengge Poetry Post"

Song Feng Ge Tie Shi is a seven-character parallel prose written by Huang Tingjian. It is an inky paper, 32.8 cm long and 2 19.2 cm wide. The full text consists of 29 lines, 153 words. It is now in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

This work was written by Huang Tingjian in his later years. The strokes of the book are vigorous and powerful, and the wind is swaying. It can be said that among all the works written by Huang Tingjian in his life, Song Fengge's Poetry Post is the most famous. Its Shen Feng is swaying, the long wave is big, Teton is ups and downs, and it is full of meaning. It is a masterpiece of running script to add Lanting to Yan's Sacrifice to My Nephew.

3, Mi Fei-"Tiaoxi Poetry Post"

Tiaoxi Poetry, the full name of which is Tiaoxi Opera is made into a poem volume for friends all over the world, is a running script calligraphy work created by Mi Fei, a calligrapher in the Northern Song Dynasty, in the third year of Yuan You (1088). Now it is collected in the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Tiaoxi's poems are vigorous, thick in fiber, coherent in brushwork and free and unrestrained. Miffy's pens are rich and varied, which has a lot to do with his brushes. In the process of being good at using pens, Mi Fei has formed an elegant and heroic style and a calm and happy momentum, pursuing ups and downs, forming his own family and showing a big gesture.

4, Cai Xiang-"Meng Hui Post"

Meng Hui Tie was written by Cai Xiang on paper in 1052, with a length of 22.7 cm and a width of 16.5 cm. Collection of Beijing Palace Museum.

Dream Reply is the representative work of Cai Xiang's running script, which adopts the Preface to Lanting and adds strict and sincere elements, thus amplifying the artistic connotation of the running script calligraphy in Song Dynasty and making the calligraphy art develop into a new era.