Introduction: The definition of calligrapher is a person who is good at calligraphy; a calligrapher with Chinese characters, that is, a calligrapher, is a person who is good at calligraphy; a person who has the ability to write Chinese characters and can push it to the height of art . To put it simply, he is an artist whose main creation is calligraphy. In other words, someone who is proficient in calligraphy. Introduction to ancient calligraphers
Wang Xizhi
Wang Xizhi (303-361 AD), courtesy name Yi Shao, was born in Linyi, Langya, Eastern Jin Dynasty. He was promoted to general of the Youjun Army and internal historian of Kuaiji, so he was known as "Wang Youjun" and "Wang Neishi". His calligraphy has reached the level of "the most outstanding calligraphers in Guiyue and Yue, both in ancient and modern times", and he is respected as the "Sage of Calligraphy" in Mozhi and Beijing in ancient and modern times. His regular script works handed down from generation to generation are all in small regular script, and his representative works include "Huang Ting Jing" (see Figure 2-25), "Le Yi Lun", "Cao E Stele", "Dongfang Shuo Painting Praise", etc.
Wang Xianzhi
Wang Xianzhi, also known as Zijing, is the seventh son of Wang Xizhi. He learned calligraphy from his father since he was a child. He is rarely famous and is respected as "Little King". Only the small regular script of "Thirteen Lines of Luo Shen Fu" has been handed down. His handwriting had nine lines in the Song Dynasty, and Jia Sidao added four lines, making a total of 13 lines carved on jade, so it is called "Thirteen Lines on the Jade Edition".
During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Northern Dynasties were constantly at war, but these northern ethnic minorities were influenced by the culture of the Central Plains and the South and developed a new culture. In calligraphy, stone carvings were popular in the Northern Dynasties. In the history of calligraphy, we call the stone carvings of the Northern Dynasties "North Stele". It created a new era in the history of regular script. The most popular Northern stele is the Wei stele, so we often call it the Northern Wei calligraphy style. Since most of these stone carvings were made by lower-class calligraphers, they were rough and sloppy, often filled with typos and typos. The names of the authors are also numerous. The stone carvings of the Northern Wei Dynasty were mostly in the form of tombstones, epitaphs, cliffs, statues, etc. The more famous ones include "Twenty Products of Longmen", "Songgaoling Temple Stele", "Zhang Xuan's Epitaph", "Zheng Wengong Stele", "Zhang Menglong Stele", "Cui Jing's Epitaph", etc. Among them, "Twenty Products of Longmen" is a prayer for blessings for living people or salvation of the dead. It was carved into a Buddha statue on the cliff of Longmen in Luoyang, Henan Province, and attached with an inscription, which is called a statue. Later generations selected the twenty most exquisite calligraphers, collectively known as the "Twenty Calligraphy Calligraphers of Longmen". We illustrate one of them, "The Statue of Shi Ping Gong".
The calligraphy of the Sui Dynasty was also mainly about engraving steles. The main ones include the "Longzang Temple Stele" - known by later generations as "the No. 1 Stele of the Sui Dynasty", "Su Xiaoci's Epitaph", "Dong Meiren's Epitaph", etc. The Tang Dynasty was a prosperous and powerful dynasty in Chinese history. Literature and art were also the most glorious era in the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty was also the golden age of calligraphy. A large number of calligraphers and excellent calligraphy works emerged. Moreover, due to the advocacy of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty, calligraphy was included in education, recruitment, and officialdom. Regular script entered its heyday in the early years of the Tang Dynasty. There were many great calligraphers in the early Tang Dynasty, among whom Ouyang Xun, Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang and Xue Ji made outstanding achievements. The four of them were collectively called the "Four Calligraphers of the Early Tang Dynasty" by later generations.
Ouyang Xun
Ouyang Xun, also known as Xinben, served as the Crown Prince and was known as "Ouyang Shuigeng". His regular script is strong and vigorous, strict in rules, and has a smooth structure with danger and mystery. His regular script was regarded as the ultimate standard of regular script by later generations, and was called "European style" or "Shuigeng style". Representative works in regular script include "Inscription on Liquan of Jiucheng Palace", "Stele on the Birthday of Huangfu", "Inscription on the Relic Pagoda of Zen Master Yong of Huadu Temple" (referred to as "Inscription on the Pagoda of Huadu Temple"), "Stele of Yu Gonggong Wen Yanbo" and so on. It is especially famous for the "Jiucheng Palace Liquan Inscription" (see Figure 2-34). This monument, referred to as "Jiucheng Palace", best represents the European style of Fengshen. Commentators often call it "the authentic regular script" and "the crown of true script". His brushwork is steady and flat, with a long structure and a delicate yet sinister edge. Therefore, the stele is very famous. It has been extensively copied and damaged, and it has lost its original appearance after being washed and chiselled by later generations.
Yu Shinan
Yu Shinan, courtesy name Bo Shi, served as secretary-supervisor and was granted the title of son of Yongxing County. He was known as "Yu Yongxing" in the world. He once studied under Zhiyong and obtained the true biography of Wang Xizhi. His regular script inherits from the two kings, and his spirit is internal, moist and gentle.
Only the regular script works "Confucius Temple Stele" (see Figure 2-35) and the small regular script "Preface to the Theory of Breaking Evil" have been handed down to the world. "The Confucius Temple Monument" was written by Yu Shinanzhong in his later years. It conforms to the standards of "Thirteen Lines on the Jade Edition" and is beautiful, round and without any anger. Huang Tingjian, a calligrapher and writer of the Song Dynasty, wrote a poem praising: "The Yu Shu of Confucius Temple is engraved by Zhenguan, and it can be purchased with a thousand taels of gold." This shows how valuable this monument is.
Chu Suiliang
Chu Suiliang, courtesy name Dengshan, was an official who admonished the officials, was appointed Zhongshu Ling, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and was granted the title of Duke of Henan Province. He lived in "Chu Henan". He is more famous than Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty for his calligraphy skills. He has learned the essence of Sui Dynasty stele, and has also participated in Yu Shinan and Wang Xizhi's works. , "Yique Buddhist Niche Stele", "Ni Kuan Zan", "Yin Fu Jing", "Fang Xuanling Stele", etc. Among them, "Yanta Sacred Preface" (see Figure 2-36) best represents his style. This stele is his masterpiece in his later years and is famous for its thinness and hardness. As soon as this stele came out, Chu Shu became a fashion.
Xue Ji, courtesy name Si Tong, official. To Prince Shaobao and the Minister of Rites, Xue Ji's regular script was close to Chu's style, but it was more refreshing. At that time, there was a saying that "you can get Xue from Chu without losing his integrity". There are not many, and "The Monument of Zen Master Xinxing" is more famous.
In addition to these four calligraphers, Ouyang Tong, Zhao Mo, Feng Chengsu, Jingke, Zhong Shaojing, etc. are all well-known calligraphers. . However, their influence seems to be not as good as that of the four schools of the early Tang Dynasty. Although the four schools of the early Tang Dynasty developed their own styles, they never left the traditional style of elegance and elegance created by the two kings. A revolutionary calligrapher emerged in the Tang Dynasty and established a sect, becoming an epoch-making figure in the history of calligraphy. He was Yan Zhenqing, the most important and prominent calligrapher in the late Tang Dynasty.
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Yan Zhenqing, courtesy name Qingchen, served as governor of Pingyuan, minister of the Ministry of Personnel, prince and grand master, and was named the founding Duke of Lu County. He was known as "Yan Lu Gong" in his later life. He was a loyal and upright person. He was the leader of the alliance and resisted the rebels during the Anshi Rebellion. ; During the Tang Dezong period, Li Xilie rebelled, and Yan Zhenqing went to persuade him and was killed. He died unyielding. Yan Zhenqing used his character, knowledge and enthusiasm for calligraphy to create a new calligraphy style outside the Erwang system.
Yan Zhenqing's regular script can be roughly divided into three stages of development. "Duobao Pagoda Sensing Stele" (see Figure 2-37) and "Dongfang Shuo Painting Collection" are his early works. Their characteristics are: rigorous and clear, both square and round, and slightly reserved. Li Yi means that the characters are drawn in straight strokes with a back posture. Hug. "Yan Qin Li Stele", "Magu Immortal Altar" (see Figure 2-38), "Yan Weizhen Family Temple Stele" and "Li Xuanjing Stele" are his late works, which are characterized by: horizontal paintings are thin and vigorous, and vertical paintings are Yan Zhenqing has made great contributions to the history of Chinese calligraphy. His regular script is an excellent model for future generations to learn from. Liu Gongquan.
Liu Gongquan
Liu Gongquan, a famous calligrapher in the late Tang Dynasty, is good at regular script, running script and cursive script. Regular script is the most powerful and he is known as Liu Shaoshi in the world. He learned from the ancients but did not follow them, and created his own unique style "Liu style". Liu Shu is a calligraphy style that has a great influence on later generations after Yan Shu, and is also known as "Yan Jin Liu Gu". There is one thing that made Liu Gongquan famous throughout the ages, and this is the matter of pen admonishment. Mu Zong was a foolish king, but he was also arty. One day, he asked Liu Gongquan about his writing skills. Liu replied: "Use the pen to the heart, and the heart will be straight, and the pen will be straight." This statement not only illustrates the inherent connection between ideological cultivation and the art of calligraphy, but also obviously contains a satirical meaning, so it has been passed down as a "brush remonstrance" by later generations. His representative works include: "Shence Army Stele", "Mysterious Tower Stele", "Li Sheng Stele" and so on. It is especially famous for the "Shence Military Monument" (see Figure 2-39). This stele was written when he was sixty-five years old. His pen was decisive and his bones were strong, earning him the reputation of "the bones of the willows and the muscles of the face".
People comment on this stele: "The wind spirit is majestic and the temperament is gentle. It is the most wonderful thing in his life."
In the Five Dynasties and Song Dynasty after the Tang Dynasty, in the three to four hundred years, the study of calligraphy flourished greatly, and the tablets were seen sparse. Although there are many people who are good at calligraphy, they are not as good as those in the Tang Dynasty. In the calligraphy circles of the Song Dynasty, the famous "Su, Huang, Mi, and Cai" (referring to Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, and Cai Xiang) mostly developed new artistic conceptions in running script. Regular script only inherited the previous generation. Nothing new. In 1271, Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, destroyed the Southern Song Dynasty, unified the country, and established the Yuan Dynasty. The Yuan Dynasty, which lasted for more than ninety years, can be said to be a retro era of calligraphy. The person with the greatest achievements should be the first to recommend Zhao Mengzhaoye.
Zhao Mengzhaoye
Zhao Mengzhaoye, also known as Ziang, also known as Songxue Taoist, Ou Bo, Crystal Palace Taoist, etc. He was a member of the clan of the Song Dynasty, and was highly appreciated by the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. During the reign of Renzong, he was honored as a Hanlin scholar, Chengzhi, and a high-ranking official. After his death, he was granted the title of Duke of Wei, with the posthumous title of Wenmin! , Li, Zhen, Xing and Cursive scripts are all the best in ancient and modern times, so they are famous all over the world for their books. "We often talk about the four styles of "Yan, Liu, Ou, and Zhao". Among them, Yan, Liu, and Ou are from the Tang Dynasty, and Zhao Meng Zhaoye is from the Yuan Dynasty. He has transcended the era and is directly on par with the Tang people. It can be seen that Zhao Meng Zhaoye is in the history of calligraphy. His calligraphy dominated the calligraphy circles of the Yuan Dynasty, and during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, even book engravings mostly used Zhao style, which shows the broad and profound influence of Zhao Mengzhaoye's calligraphy on later generations. p>
He pursues the two kings, with beautiful structure and round strokes, gentle and elegant on the outside, strong and powerful on the inside. Another major feature of Zhao character is its practicality. When studying Ou and Yan, you often have this experience: Xi Ou. Adversity can lead to failure in learning beauty; learning Zhao style can often avoid this trouble. Zhao Mengzhaoye has left us a large number of precious legacies. The number of his works handed down from generation to generation is probably unparalleled in history. His representative works in regular script include "Miao Yan". "Temple Records", "Fushen Temple Records", "Dengba Stele", "Sanmen Records", "Qiu'e Stele", etc. In 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the rule of the Yuan Dynasty and established the Ming Dynasty, which lasted for 276 years. In the past three hundred years, few people have broken through the barriers of Zhao Mengzhaoye, such as Wen Zhengming, Zhu Yunming, Wang Chong, Dong Qichang, etc.
Wen Zhengming
Wen Zhengming, originally named Bi, also known as Hengshan Jugu, was born in Wenhengshan. He was once a member of the Hanlin Academy, so he was also called "Wen Taizhao". He was not very smart when he was young. When he was young, he took the student examination and was ranked third class because of poor handwriting. He was unable to take the higher-level provincial examination. This was very embarrassing at the time. This incident hit him hard, but he was not discouraged. Instead, it prompted him to work hard to practice calligraphy. He used other people's rest and game time to practice writing silently. He usually wrote meticulously and would rewrite whenever he felt dissatisfied. This habit persisted until old age. The reason why he has achieved great results may have something to do with this habit. His calligraphy is known for its neatness and standard. In particular, small regular script is more valued by the world because of its profound skills, rigor and simplicity, stability and beauty. However, the lack of variation in his calligraphy is a minor flaw. His famous regular script works include: "Thousand-Character Essay", "Li Sao Jing", "Moon Fu" and "Snow Fu". In the calligraphy world of the Qing Dynasty, seal script and official script surpassed those of previous generations. This has been discussed before. As for regular script, it can be said to be the era of inaction. If we talk about the person with outstanding achievements in regular script in the Qing Dynasty, we should recommend Zhao Zhiqian in the late Qing Dynasty.
Zhao Zhiqian
Zhao Zhiqian, whose courtesy name is Yifu, is his uncle and his nickname is Bei'an. He is a talented artist, good at calligraphy, painting and seal cutting. His regular script is powerful and stable. Under the influence of Bao Shichen's calligraphy theory at that time, he specialized in Beibei. Through his efforts, he eliminated the domineering spirit in Beibei and created a fresh and unique style. Purpose book style. His works include "Collected Calligraphy of the Southern Tang Dynasty" and "The Remaining Ink of Bei'an" (a collection of calligraphy and painting in ten volumes).
Dong Qichang
Dong Qichang (1555? 1636), named Xuanzai, nicknamed Xiangguang, alias Sibai, lived in Dongjiahui, Shanghai County, Songjiang Prefecture (now part of Shanghai City) in the Ming Dynasty. people.
Born on January 19th, the 34th year of Jiajing reign (1555).
At the age of seventeen, he took the Songjiang Prefecture Examination. At that time, he wrote a very proud eight-legged essay and thought he was sure to win the first prize. Unexpectedly, when the results were released, he was ranked lower than his nephew Dong Yuanzheng. The reason was that the prefect Zhong Zhenji thought his handwriting on the test paper was poor. Although his article was good, he could only be ranked second. This incident deeply stimulated Dong Qichang, and he devoted himself to learning calligraphy from then on. At first, he took "Duobao Pagoda Tie" by Yan Zhenqing of the Tang Dynasty as a model. Later, he studied the Wei and Jin Dynasties and copied the Dharma Tie of Zhong Yao and Wang Xizhi.
After more than ten years of hard work, Dong Qichang's calligraphy has made great progress, and he has gradually become familiar with landscape painting. In the seventeenth year of Wanli (1589), Dong Qichang finally passed the examination and was selected as Shujitu for his excellent articles and calligraphy. He entered the Hanlin Academy for further study. This year he was thirty-five years old.
In addition to studying classics and history, Dong Qichang competed with his colleagues and friends on calligraphy and painting techniques, discussed ancient and modern times, and evaluated the superior and inferior. He also borrowed paintings and calligraphy from Jin, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties from Han Shineng, and copied them with his heart and hands, sometimes forgetting to eat and sleep. As a result, his knowledge advanced greatly and he began to become famous in Beijing. In his hometown, Dong Qichang built "Lai Zhong Tower", "Baoding Zhai", "Xi Hong Hall", "Hua Zen Room", "Fragrance Light Room", etc., with toothpicks and jade scrolls, pictures on the left and history on the right, immersed himself in them, and wrote books. Let's talk about it and explore the art of calligraphy and painting in ancient and modern times. He spared no effort to collect the Dharma books of Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi, Xie An, Huan Wen, Zhao Gui and Mi Fu, and published the "Xihongtang Dharma Notes" in the 31st year of Wanli. When he was ill and resting in Songjiang, he was in the prime of his forties. He was well-read and well-informed, and collected many good points. He lived in Linquan for a long time, and his mind and hands were familiar. He created "Visiting Ancient Pictures in Fengjing" and "Pictures of Helin Chunshe" (Figure 5) There are many famous landscape paintings depicting the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River, such as "Fulan Warm Green Picture", "Shenlou Picture", "Eight Views of West Lake", "Stream Circulation Picture" and so on.
Zhong Yao
Zhong Yao (151-230), named Yunchang, was born in Changshe, Yingchuan, Wei Dynasty in the Three Kingdoms (now Henan). He was an official to Taifu and was granted the title of Marquis of Dingling. He was known as "Taifu Zhong". Zhong Yao's calligraphers Cao Xi, Liu Desheng and Cai Yong drew on the strengths of other calligraphers and were good at various calligraphy styles, especially the official script and regular script. He concentrated simple and easy elements in the regular script and broke the conventions of the official script. Change the flatness of official script into the squareness of regular script. Therefore, Zhong Yao became the ancestor of regular script. Together with the later Wang Xizhi, they are collectively known as "King Zhong". His handed down works include "Declaration Table", "Congratulation Table", "Power and Life Table", "Recommended Season Table", "Tiaoyuan Table", etc., among which "Declaration Table" is the most famous. After Zhong, the most famous are Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi and their sons.