Wang Shushan’s calligraphy and 16 pieces of Wei stele calligraphy
1. What is Wei stele calligraphy
Wei stele is a stone inscription of Northern Dynasties characters during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period (420-588 AD). Common name is a font created during the period of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The Northern Wei Dynasty unified the north and moved the capital to Luoyang, ending the chaos in the Yellow River Basin. Emperor Xiaowen
With his great talents and great strategies, he promoted Han culture and developed education. Luoyang once again became the center of calligraphy art. Wei Stele, a transitional calligraphy style that inherited the past and opened up the future, came into being.
2. The content of Wei stele calligraphy: it can be divided into four categories: tablets, cliffs, epitaphs, and statues.
1. There are more than 100,000 pieces of calligraphy on tablets and Wei steles in existence. They vary in quality from good to bad, but they are wonderful and thrilling, graceful and lawful. Except for the "Juqu An Zhou Statue Stele", "Guangwu General Stele" and "Xiyue Huashan Temple Stele" in the official script of the Northern Dynasties, the rest of the steles are in regular script. Calligraphy pursues excellence, precise structure, precise strokes and exquisite fonts. The Northern Dynasties broke all the conventions of the Western Jin Dynasty. Not only did they erect large-scale monuments, but they also had no standard fonts, so the calligraphy on the monuments was rich and colorful.
Among them, the most famous one is "Zhang Menglong Monument", which is highly praised by future generations. Kang Youwei said: ""Zhang Menglong" is like Zhou Gong's ritual system, everything is beautiful and good", "the structure is exquisite, the changes are without reason", "it is the orthodox orthodox school of abnormality".
2. Cliff is another wonder of calligraphy in the Northern Dynasties. The writings carved on the cliff rocks are called "Moya". Among them, the famous ones include "Yunfeng Mountain Carving Stone", "Shimen Inscription", "Taishan Sutra Shiyu Diamond Sutra", etc. "Shimen Inscription" was written by Wang Yuan.
The strokes are broad and unbridled, the characters are flying and elegant, and the structure is strange and vertical. Kang Youwei listed it as a divine product in "Guangyi Zhou Shuangji" and praised his calligraphy as "like an immortal scattered on Qiong Island, a flying luan crossing a crane".
The cliff of "Zheng Wengong Stele" is the work of Zheng Daozhao, a calligrapher of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and has always been valued by calligraphers. Ye Changchi, a scholar of the Qing Dynasty, believed: "His writing power is so strong that he can bite the rhinoceros, fight dragons and snakes, and navigate the void, all with divine luck."
In the early Tang Dynasty, the European, Yu, Chu, and Xue families were all under the influence. It is not only the first in the Northern Dynasties, but also the only one since the beginning of the real book. "Kang Youwei called it: "the polar track of Wei stele's round pen". Zhong Zhishuai's "Xue Xuan Shupin" said: "Yunfeng Wei stele,
Inheriting the legacy of the Han Dynasty and the forerunner of the Tang Dynasty regular script, it can be regarded as a masterpiece of a generation and worthy of being an eternal masterpiece. ”
3. An epitaph is a monument buried in the ground. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, it later developed into a type of stone carving with diverse and exquisite systems. There are two to three hundred square meters of epitaphs unearthed from the Northern Wei Dynasty, most of which are in exquisite regular script.
The famous ones include the Epitaph of Zhang Heinu, the Epitaph of Huangfu Yuhan, the Epitaph of Yuan Xianjun, the Epitaph of Yuan Hui, the Epitaph of Diao Zun, the Epitaph of Cui Jingyong, and the Epitaph of Yuan Ni, etc. , these all have high artistic value. Most of the epitaphs of the Northern Wei Dynasty were composed of nobles from the royal family of the Yuan and Wei Dynasties. Most of the calligraphers were famous figures at that time, and the carvers were not mediocre people. Therefore, the main feature of calligraphy is exquisiteness and rigor. The epitaphs represented by the Yuan clan reflect the calligraphy features of the upper class nobility. The epitaph calligraphy reflects the legacy of the Wei and Jin Dynasty regular scripts to a greater extent. It is relatively standardized, and the careful and respectful expression of the carver permeates between the lines. It is similar to the epitaphs of the Southern Dynasties and the Tang regular script, conveying news of the evolution of the regular script.
4. Statues and Statues are the product of the prosperity of Buddhism. There are thousands of statues in Longmen Grottoes, among which the most outstanding works are said to be “fourth grade”, “tenth grade”, “twenty-fourth grade” and “thirty grade”. For example, "Bhikkhu Huicheng
The inscription on the statue of his late father Shi Pinggong", "The inscription on the statue of Xue Fashao in Wei Lingzang", "The inscription on the statue of Sun Qiusheng, Liu Qizu and other two hundred people" and "Yang Dayan's inscription on the statue of Emperor Xiaowen" are collectively called "Longmen" Fourth grade". During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the development of Buddhism in China reached its peak. Especially in the Northern Dynasties, under the influence of the idea that the Buddha is the king and Zen meditation asceticism, the practice of opening caves to create statues flourished, and a large number of records of statues appeared. The most praised record of statues during the Northern Wei Dynasty is "Twenty Products of Longmen".
The creation of the carver of "Twenty Products of Longmen" is obvious: the sharp-edged and decisive strokes are purely carved out by the iron blade without any modification. These sharp, rough lines chiselled with clang have the nomadic spirit of the nation and reflect the aesthetic style of the times. The creations of these little-known carvers wrote a marvelous page in the history of Chinese calligraphy and brought infinite vitality to the art of calligraphy. The calligraphy art of the 20th grade of Longmen is upright and generous, majestic, simple, thick, strong and powerful. Its lines are regular, well-proportioned in size and neatly arranged; its structure and brushwork are between Li and regular script, showing its maturity and also its transitional style of inheriting Li and Kaikai.
It is recognized by the society and regarded as a model of Wei stele calligraphy style. It is not only cherished domestically, but also well-known overseas. Kang Youwei said: "The Longmen statues are self-contained, with similar images. They are all majestic and majestic. The ultimate intention is up and down, which is the extreme trajectory of the square pen."
3. The influence of Wei stele calligraphy on later generations
The Southern and Northern Dynasties were the main period for the development of regular script. At that time, the north and south were divided, and different styles of calligraphy were formed in the north and south. The founders of the two factions are Zhong Yao and Wei Guan, but the southern faction has Wang Xizhi as its sect, inherits Jiangzuo Fengliu, is relatively sparse, and is mostly known for its writing slips
; the northern sect has Suo Jing as its sect. , following the ancient law of the Central Plains, it still retains the official meaning and is famous for its tablets. The northern style stele is the "Wei stele". The ancestor of calligraphy wrote with a pen, and the foundation of stele study was carved with a knife. Wei stele calligraphy is divided into northern stele and southern stele. They are two major artistic trends in the history of Chinese calligraphy. They stand side by side and each has its own beauty. Zhong Zhishuai said that the calligraphy of Wei stele played a huge role in the formation of later calligraphy styles. Calligraphers of the past dynasties also drew useful essence from it in their innovation and transformation.
"Wei Stele Style" has diverse aesthetic qualities. It is a highly integrated calligraphy style with a complex cultural background. It permeates the blood of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and combines the simplicity and vigorousness of northern calligraphy with the new charm of southern regular script.
It blends the ruggedness of northern minorities and the restraint of Han nationality. The open strokes of official script and the rigorous structure of regular script give people a strong and open psychological experience and have extremely high aesthetic value, which is unmatched by the calligraphy of any previous dynasty
.
"Wei stele style" is a product of the times. Its emergence and development are accompanied by social changes. It reflects the changes in people's aesthetic concepts from one side and the evolution of the social style and social atmosphere at that time. . For example, before Taihe
, the Xianbei aristocratic children advocated physical strength, bravery, bowing, horse riding, and shooting. After Taihe moved the capital, they turned to Confucianism. This is the same reason as the "Wei stele style" shifted from square to round in the late period. The shift from focusing on physical prowess to focusing on inner cultivation is undoubtedly the fruit of the Sinicization reform of the Xianbei people. These characteristics of the "Wei stele style" are of great value to the study of the history of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
There are many reasons for the prosperity of calligraphy during this period: first, national integration enriched the themes and styles of calligraphy art; second, the maturity of papermaking provided a cheap and convenient carrier for calligraphy art; third, metaphysics. The prevalence of Taoism and Buddhism has liberated people's minds and injected vitality into the art of calligraphy; especially all social strata love calligraphy, creating fertile ground for its prosperity. The great split and integration of the Southern and Northern Dynasties objectively led to great exchanges of Chinese national culture, laying a solid foundation for the great development of calligraphy in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
"Wei Stele" "Style" had an important influence on the evolution of calligraphy style in later generations. It inherited the official script of the Han Dynasty and the regular script of the Tang Dynasty. It is an important carrier for studying the evolution from official script to regular script. Its versatile writing style greatly amazed calligraphers of later generations. With the deepening of the sinicization reform,
the strengthening of the integration of Hu and Han, and the continuous introduction of calligraphy styles from the Southern Dynasties, this strong and majestic "Wei stele style" regular script has further developed. The strokes gradually become rounder, straighter and more elegant, with both square and round strokes.
Therefore, Kang Youwei said in "Guangyizhou Shuangji·Tenth of the Northern Wei Dynasty": "Looking at all the steles, if you travel to the mountains of jade, if you walk on the road of Shanyin, all the physiques of future generations will be prepared. All the attitudes of later generations are also prepared."
The main signs of the influence of Wei stele calligraphy on later generations are:
First, Wei stele played an important role in the formation of Tang regular script. Regular script of the Tang Dynasty is a milestone in the history of Chinese calligraphy. The blooming flowers of regular script written by great calligraphers such as Yu Shinan, Ouyang Xun, Chu Suiliang, Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan, etc. indicate that regular script has reached a very mature stage. The formation of regular script by many famous calligraphers is all related to Wei Stele. direct relationship.
Yu Shinan's calligraphy belongs to the Southern School. Liu Xizai's "Calligraphy Summary" said, "The two calligraphies of Yu and Yu in Tang and Europe each occupy an integral part, but they can be traced back to each other.
Since the Eastern Wei Dynasty, Li Zhongxuan and Jing Jing The two monuments of "Xianjun" and "Xianjun Monument" can be seen as "the dangerous power of the European book" comes from the Northern Monument. Ma Zonghuo said in "Shu Lin Zao Jian": "There are many Northern styles in Tang Dynasty steles, especially those in Europe."
The calligraphy of Chu Suiliang and Liu Gongquan, the Northern style The edification of the stele is also particularly obvious. When talking about Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy, "Book Summary" said: "The official calligraphy written by Lu Gong may be said to be the epitaph of Gao Zhi in the north stele and the epitaph of Taigong Lu Wangbiao written by Mu Zirong, or it may be said that his running calligraphy is the same as that of Zhang Menglong's stele.
Several lines of the calligraphy are similar, so these are all close. However, Lu Gong’s ancient learning is not without its profound influence!"
The Wei stele also had an influence on the running script and cursive script of the Tang Dynasty. Yan Zhenqing's running script, such as Li Beihai's "Lushan Temple Stele", is simple and heavy, and undoubtedly does not come from Bei Bei. Zhang Xu's cursive script has the meaning of official, and he is a master of introducing stele into cursive script. Because Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, admired Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, the Jin Dynasty calligraphy style represented by Wang Shu has always been the mainstream in the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, in general, Tang Dynasty regular script inherits more of the tradition of Jin Kai script. Even if there are some references to Wei stele, it is mostly due to the calligrapher's personal interest and style, and it has not formed a kind of tradition. We should generally learn from the customs of Wei Bei.
The second is the influence of Wei stele on Song Dynasty calligraphy. The Song Dynasty attached great importance to pavilion calligraphy, but judging from the calligraphy of Su Dongpo, Huang Shangu, Mi Fu, and Cai Xiang, Su's strange energy, Huang's boldness, Mi's calmness and joy, and Cai's antiquity were all directly and indirectly influenced by the stele.
Moreover, Huang has studied "The Inscription of the Crane" and Mi has studied the "Diamond Sutra", and both of them absorbed nutrients from the stele. In particular, Chen Bo's calligraphy, Kai Zhang Qiyi, comes from "Shimen Inscription".
Third, Wei stele had the greatest influence on Qing Dynasty calligraphy. During the Jiaqing and Daoguang years of the Qing Dynasty, Wei stele began to receive attention from calligraphers and calligraphy theorists. Among them, the most powerful advocates of Wei stele were Ruan Yuan and Bao Shichen in the early period, and Kang Youwei in the later period. Ruan Yuan wrote "On Beibei Nantie Lun" and "On North and South Calligraphy Schools", pioneering "steleology"; Bao Shichen wrote "Yizhou Shuangji", and Kang Youwei wrote "Guangyizhou Shuangji", which was contrary to the attitude towards Chun since the Song Dynasty. The admiration for Hua Ge Tie came up with the idea of ??"respecting the stele and suppressing the Tie".
Since then, the study of stele has become popular, and the value of Wei stele has been generally recognized. In addition to the "Jin and Tang" methods, more and more people who practice regular script have begun to choose Wei stele. With the development of epigraphy research, the emergence of the reform trend, the study of tablets flourished, and there was a flourishing situation in the calligraphy world.
Deng Shiru is known as the first calligrapher in the Qing Dynasty. Li Kai Duofa's stele of the Six Dynasties, He Zizhen became his own family and benefited a lot from the Wei stele. Zhao Zhiqian studied Beibei and became his own school. Zhang Yuzhao created a new perspective and melted the North Monument for his own use. Li Ruiqing used seal script to run on Beibei, which was highly respected by those who studied Beibei for a while. Others, such as Zhang Lianqing, Zheng Wenzhuo and Kang Youwei, all became famous because of their admiration for Wei stele. In modern times, there are many people who have become famous for studying Beibei. Mr. Yu Youren
is the most outstanding calligrapher
. Today, 16 pieces of Wei stele calligraphy are distributed for book lovers to appreciate and comment on.