The Four Calligraphers of the Song Dynasty refer to the four calligraphers of the Song Dynasty: Su Shi\Huang Tingjian\Mi Fu\Cai Xiang
1. Su Shi (1037-1101), named Zizhan, No. Dongpo Jushi, a native of Meishan, Sichuan. A famous writer, calligrapher and painter in the Northern Song Dynasty. He is one of the eight great poets of the Tang and Song dynasties. Su Shi has little reputation for talent and is knowledgeable in classics and history. In the second year of Song Jiayou's reign (1057), he became a Jinshi, served as an official of the Ministry of Rites, and a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy. He had a rough life and was demoted and exiled many times. He was highly regarded during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, but due to the old and new party struggles, he was repeatedly demoted and served as a local official in Hangzhou, Mizhou, Xuzhou, Huzhou and other places. He was also imprisoned for writing poems that "slandered the government." After being released from prison, he was demoted to Huangzhou. After several ups and downs, he was demoted to Huizhou, Qiongzhou, and finally moved to Danzhou (now Danxian County, Hainan). From then on, he adapted to the circumstances and lived a life of reading and painting in his later years. It was not until the third year of Yuanfu (1100) that Song Huizong came to the throne that he was pardoned and returned to the north. He died in Changzhou in July of the first year of Jingguo's reign (1101). Su Shi was an upright, broad-minded, and talented person. In addition to poetry and prose, he was also good at calligraphy and painting. Together with Cai Xiang, Huang Tingjian, and Mi Fu, he was known as one of the "Four Masters of the Song Dynasty." When he talked about his calligraphy creation process, he said: "The method of writing calligraphy requires shallow knowledge and narrow learning. In the end, the three cannot be perfect. I have both my mind, my eyes and my hands." He also said: "I can't create the meaning of calligraphy. "The dot painting is written by Xin Shu." He focused on writing "meaning" and expressed his feelings in the dot paintings written by "Xin Shu". Su Shi's calligraphy seems plain and simple, but there is a vast atmosphere, just like his profound knowledge, the dragon's changes are unpredictable. He is good at running script and regular script, and his writing style is full of flesh and bone, with natural ups and downs, giving people the artistic beauty of "the atmosphere of the sea and the wind and waves" and "the shape of ancient trees and strange rocks". Su Shi's calligraphy was highly praised by later generations. Huang Tingjian said in "Valley Collection": "His writing is charming... When he is drunk and dissolute, he forgets about his craftsmanship, and his handwriting is particularly thin and vigorous... As for his writing style, which is round and rhyming, he can use his articles to make the world wonderful, and his loyalty runs through the sun and the moon. "Zi Qi, this dynasty's good calligraphy, I should recommend (Su) as the first." Dong Qichang of the Ming Dynasty praised him highly for "using the full front, which is the Orchid Pavilion of Po Gong". The handed down calligraphy works include "Ode to Qian Chibi", "Poetry on Cold Food in Huangzhou", "Ode to Spring Scenery in Dongting", "Ode to Zhongshan Pine Mash", etc.
2. Huang Tingjian (1045-1105), whose courtesy name was Lu Zhi, was also known as Shangu Daoren. Later generations called him Huang Shangu, later known as Fu Weng. He was a native of Fenning, Hongzhou (now Xiushui, Jiangxi). Poet and calligrapher of the Northern Song Dynasty. In the fourth year of Emperor Yingzong's reign (1067), he became a Jinshi. In the third year of Xining reign of Emperor Shenzong (1070), Wang Anshi became the prime minister. The implementation of the new law was fiercely opposed by the conservatives headed by Sima Guang. Later, the struggle between the old and new parties intensified and lasted until the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty. In this struggle, Huang Tingjian stood on the side of the old party. Although he did not actively participate in this struggle, he was always involved in the vortex of struggle throughout his life.
Huang Tingjian came from the sect of Su Shi, and together with Zhang Lai, Qin Guan, and Chao Buzhi, he was known as the "Four Scholars of the Su School". Later, he was as famous as Su Shi and was known as "Su Huang" in the world. His most important achievement was poetry. The poetry theory praises Du Fu, but it emphasizes reading and checking evidence, and using the past to make it new. The theory of "no word has its origin" and "reborn, turning iron into gold". He had great influence in the Song Dynasty and founded the Jiangxi School of Poetry. He is also good at poetry, writing and cursive writing.
At first, Zhou Yue was his master in calligraphy, and later he learned from Yan Zhenqing and Huai Su. He was influenced by Yang Ningshi, and was particularly effective in the "Jiu Stork Inscription". , the brushwork is thin and vigorous, and has its own style. It is one of the "Four Masters of Song Dynasty". "History of the Song Dynasty·Biography of Wenyuan" said of him: "Ting Jian's knowledge and articles are innate. Chen Shidao said that his poems were inspired by Du Fu's style. He was good at cursive calligraphy and had his own style of regular script. He visited Su Shi's gate with Zhang Lei, Chao Buzhi and Qin Guan. He said himself: "I have been studying cursive calligraphy for more than thirty years. I first took Zhou Yue as my teacher, so I kept up my vulgarity for twenty years. Later I got Su Caiweng and learned about it." Later, Zhang Changshi, Seng Huaisu, and Gao Xian's ink writing gave a glimpse of the beauty of his writing skills." His famous calligraphy includes "Songfeng Pavilion Poetry", "Huangzhou Hanshi Poetry Postscript", and "Hua Qi". "Xunren Tie", "Hongxian Poems", etc.
3. Mi Fu (1051-1107) was named Yuanzhang and was named Xiangyang Manshi, Haiyue Waishi, and Lumen Jushi. His ancestral home is Taiyuan, Shanxi, and he later settled in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu. Because of his weird personality and crazy behavior, he called him "brother" when he met a stone and worshiped him endlessly, so he was called "Mi Dian". Huizong awarded him a doctorate in calligraphy and painting, and was known as "Minan Guan". Mi Fu is good at poetry and prose, is good at calligraphy and painting, and is a calligrapher, painter, connoisseur, and collector. He is one of the "Four Calligraphers of the Song Dynasty" (Su, Mi, Huang, and Cai) and is second to none. His calligraphy style is casual and unrestrained, but also strict with the law.
"History of the Song Dynasty·Biography of Wenyuan" says: "Fu is particularly good at calligraphy and ink. His calmness and flying ability capture the meaning of Wang Xian's brushwork."
Mi Fu studied calligraphy the most and achieved the greatest achievements in his life. Mi Fu claims that his works are "collections of ancient characters", and he has a deep understanding of the ancient masters' brushwork, composition and charm. This also shows to a certain extent that Mi Fu has put a lot of effort into the tradition of studying calligraphy. Mi Fu was not involved in the political whirlpool and lived a relatively stable life. Later, he became a doctor of calligraphy and painting. He had a good understanding of the imperial collection of books and was familiar with the stories of thousands of years. When he was young, he studied hard Tang Kai scripts such as Yan, Liu, Ou and Chu, and gained solid basic skills. When Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou, he went to visit him for advice, and Dongpo persuaded him to learn from Jin. Beginning in the fifth year of Yuanfeng (1082), Mi Fu devoted himself to the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Taking the calligraphy style of the Jin people as his guide, he searched for many Jin people's Dharma texts, and even named his study "Baojin Zhai". The "Mid-Autumn Tie" written by Wang Xianzhi today is said to be his copy, and it is extremely exquisite in form and spirit. Mi Fu studied under many teachers throughout his life, and he also said this in his "Autobiography" written in his later years: "I first learned to write on the wall when I was seven or eight years old. The characters were so big that I couldn't write them on the bamboo slips. I admired Liu when he saw them. The tight knot is learned from Liu's "Diamond Sutra". After a long time, I know that it comes from Europe. Later, Duan Quanze exhibited "Orchid Pavilion", and then read the "Taiwan". After entering the Jin and Wei Dynasties, he abandoned Zhong Fang and studied "Liu Kuan Stele", which is also the seal script of "Zui Chu" and "Shigu Wen". The paint is made of bamboo, and the inscription on the tripod is wonderful and ancient."
Mi Fu is famous for his calligraphy. His achievements are entirely due to his hard work. Mi Fu visits the pond every day. Historical records record: "One day. If I don't write for a day, I will feel dull, thinking that the ancients never used up their writing for a moment. "Zhiyong can reach Youjun (Wang Xizhi) by making an inkstone, and if he penetrates it, he can reach Zhong (Yao) and Suo (Jing)." You can always encourage it." His son Mi Youren said that he did not forget to write even on the first day of the lunar new year. (According to Sun Zubai's "Mi Fu Mi Youren"). Mi Fu was very conscientious in writing. He said: "She wrote "Hai Dai Shi" three or four times, with one or two good words in between. It is also difficult to write letters" (Mi Xiangyang Foreign Notes by Fan Mingtai of the Ming Dynasty). After writing a poem three or four times, I am still satisfied with only one or two words. The joys and sorrows involved are beyond the reach of an expert, which also shows the rigor of his creative attitude.
Mi Fu's calligraphy ranks among the four great calligraphers of the Song Dynasty, after Su Dongpo and Huang Tingjian, and before Cai Xiang. However, regardless of Su Dongpo's status as a literary master and Huang Tingjian's influence as the leader of the Jiangxi Poetry School, as far as calligraphy is concerned, Mi Fu has the most profound traditional skills, especially running script, which is superior to the two. Dong Qichang of the Ming Dynasty said in his "Essays on Painting a Zen Room": "When I tried to comment on the word rice, I thought that the Song Dynasty was the best, after all, it was on the east slope. That is to say, the calligraphy of Mi Dian was more self-satisfied, but it changed in his later years, and it was as cold as water. Strange." When asked about calligraphy by the emperor, Mi Fu claimed that he was a "brush calligrapher". He was modest in appearance but focused on the essentials. "Brush calligraphy" showed that he used the pen quickly and vigorously, and did his best with all his heart. His calligraphy works, ranging from poems and calligraphy to small rulers, slips, inscriptions and postscripts, are all characterized by joyful, dynamic, dynamic, vigorous and fresh. Judging from the nearly 60 existing handwritings of Mi Fu, the word "brush" vividly expresses the spirit of the word rice. No wonder Su Dongpo said: "The calligraphy of Mi Fu is so fascinating." He also said, "Hai Yue's life is beautiful." His calligraphy in seal script, official script, official script, cursive script, and Fengqiang Zhenma are both calm and joyful, and he deserves to be compared with those of King Zhong. "Mi Fu's calligraphy had a profound influence, especially in the late Ming Dynasty, and there were many scholars, such as Wen Zhengming and others. Celebrities such as Zhu Yunming, Chen Chun, Xu Wei, Wang Juesi, and Fu Shan all took a "Heart Sutra" from rice seeds, and this influence continues to this day.
In addition to his extremely high level of calligraphy, Mi Fu also has many calligraphy commentaries. He is the author of "Book History", "Haiyue Quotations", "Baozhang Waiting for Visits", "Comments on Calligraphy", etc. Showing his outstanding courage and sophisticated appreciation, he often ridiculed his predecessors, but he never followed the ancient sayings. He was valued by calligraphers of the past dynasties. However, he also went too far, criticizing Yan Liu and belittling Xu Su. Harsh and critical. Mi Fu's handed down ink writings mainly include "Tiaoxi Poetry Scroll", "Shu Su Tie", "Fangyuan An Ji", "Tianma Fu", etc., and there are especially many short pieces of Hanzha.
Mi Fu is good at ink landscapes and is known as "Mi's Cloud Mountain", but Mi Fu's paintings do not exist in the world. But the only one that can be seen so far is hardly a "rice painting" in the true sense - "Coral Pen Stand", which depicts a coral pen stand with the word "Golden Sitting" written on the left. Then add rice dots and inscriptions, and the Mijia landscape will emerge. Mi Fu uses painting as a substitute for writing, which is quite interesting.
4. Cai Xiang (1012-1067), courtesy name Junmo, was born in Xinghua (now Xianyou, Fujian).
Jinshi in the eighth year of Tiansheng (1030), he served in the central government of the Song Dynasty as a Collector, Zhijianyuan, Zhishiguan, Zhizhigao, Longtuge Zhibao, Privy Council Zhibao, Hanlin Bachelor, Third Secretary, Duanming He held the title of bachelor and other positions in the palace, and served as the transfer envoy to Fujian Road (today's Fuzhou City, Fujian Province), knowing the affairs of Quanzhou, Fuzhou, Kaifeng (today's Kaifeng City, Henan Province) and Hangzhou. After his death, he was given the posthumous title of "Zhonghui" by the Minister of Rites. Cai Xiang was loyal, honest, trustworthy, and knowledgeable. In the history of calligraphy, when it comes to calligraphy in the Song Dynasty, there are four great calligraphers: Su, Huang, Mi, and Cai. They are considered to be typical representatives of the calligraphy style of the Song Dynasty. Among the "Four Song Schools", the first three refer to Su Shi (Dongpo), Huang Tingjian (Fu Weng) and Mi Fu (Xiangyang Manshi). Among the four families in the Song Dynasty, Cai Xiang should be ahead of Su, Huang and Mi in age. From the perspective of calligraphy style, Su Wu is plump and plump; Huang Tingjian is vertical and horizontal; Mi Fu is handsome and bold. They have their own style of calligraphy. Su, Huang and Mi are all good at running cursive and regular script, but they like to write regular regular script. , or Cai Xiang. Cai Xiang's calligraphy is vigorous, dignified, simple and graceful, and is self-contained. Unrolling the scroll of Cai Xiang's calligraphy, I suddenly felt a spring breeze blowing on my face, full of beauty and elegance.
Cai Xiang's calligraphy was highly praised by his contemporaries during his lifetime and enjoyed a high reputation. The people who most admired his calligraphy skills were Su Dongpo and Ouyang Xiu. Su Dongpo pointed out in "Dongpo's Inscriptions and Postscripts": "Ducai Junmo has high talent, profound knowledge, good mind and hand, and endless transformations, so he is the best in this dynasty. However, running script is the best, followed by small regular script, and then cursive script... ... He also tasted the power of flying dragons and dancing phoenixes, and those who knew him would not overestimate him." Ouyang Xiu's evaluation of Cai Xiang's calligraphy was truly unparalleled: Ouyang Xiu said: "After Su Zimei's death, he felt that his calligraphy was a masterpiece. Excellent writing skills. In recent years, Jun Mo has been alone in the world, but Qian Qian refused to lead the alliance. "("Ouyang Wenzhong Gongji") Huang Tingjian also said: "Su Zimei and Cai Junmo are both heroes of calligraphy. "("Valley Collected Works") Northern Song Dynasty scientist Shen Kuo, in "Mengxi Bi Tan", commented on Cai Xiang's cursive writing: "Using loose brush to make cursive script, it is called loose grass or flying grass. . It retains the ancient charm of Zhang Xuhuai Su, has the potential to change, and is also full of ancient meanings. "
"The History of Song Dynasty: Biography of Cai Xiang" said of him: "Xiang was the best in handwriting in the world, and Renzong loved him especially. "Xu Jiang's "Cai Xiang Biography" said: "Gong is very self-conscious about calligraphy and painting, and he does not act arrogantly. His fragments and incomplete manuscripts are all treasured by people, and Renzong especially likes to call him. "Zhu Changwen's "Continuation of the Book": Cai Xiang's book is very self-respecting, and he does not treat it lightly as a book. He gives it to others and keeps it as a treasure. Renzong deeply loves his relics... and a bachelor wrote the "Queen Wencheng Monument", which is an imperial letter. Jun Moci refused to write, saying: "This is a matter of waiting for an imperial edict. So it is just a matter of leisure for a Confucian scholar, how can it be like a skilled man working in labor?"
According to the above three paragraphs, It can be seen that Cai Xiang's calligraphy was cherished by the emperor and ordinary people. Because he was very self-conscious and did not write for others, there were few handed down works. It can also be seen that the atmosphere in the calligraphy world at that time had completely turned to poetry. Wen, rulers, tablets, and calligraphy tablets were regarded as the work of a skilled man, and were disdained by scholar-bureaucrats. Even the emperor's orders could no longer influence them. This was fundamentally different from the situation before the Tang Dynasty. p>
Cai Xiang is not a master who founded a sect. Generally speaking, his calligraphy still adheres to the laws of the Jin and Tang Dynasties, and his sense of innovation is slightly inferior. However, he is an indispensable key figure in the development of calligraphy in the Song Dynasty. With his complete calligraphy achievements, he built a technical bridge between the laws of the Jin and Tang Dynasties and the taste of the Song Dynasty. Cai Xiang's handed down ink writings include "Self-written Poems", "Xie Ci Yushu Poems", and "Tao Sheng". There are various kinds of ink inscriptions on the "Tie", "Jiaoyuan Tie" and "Menghui Tie". The inscriptions on the tablets include "The Story of Wan'an Bridge", "The Story of Zhoujintang" and the regular script "Forgetting Stone" and "Guoshi Rock" in Gushan Lingyuan Cave. .
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