From Zheng Dewugeng (15 10) to Jiajing Xinmao (153 1), Wang Chong failed eight times. Among the friends who are not around Wang Chong, some choose to be wild, such as Zhu Yunming, Tang Yan and Chen Chun; Some choose patience, such as Tang Zhen; Some people choose to live in seclusion, such as Lu Zhi. Wang Chong chose seclusion, devoted himself to poetry and books, lived in seclusion in the mountains, studied on Shihu Lake for twenty years, and taught in Lengga Mountain. Just as he said in "Running Letter": "Although the family is poor, the scenery in Yuexi is getting better and better, and it looks like a painting. This alone comforts my ears. " The book Wang Chong's Letters is collected by Shanghai Museum. Naturally, Wang Chong's "not wonderful, not vigorous" mood is reflected in his pen-sparse and ethereal. This skillful and natural calligraphy skill and Xiao's free and easy attitude towards the world are the results of his repeated unsuccessful scientific examinations, and then his passion for calligraphy and painting and his affection for mountains and rivers.
At the same time, Wang Chong's upright character, Tao Zhu, reflects his sparse calligraphy. In Xiang Zan written for Wang Chong, Wang Shizhen called it "kindness is elegant, not as vulgar as accusation" and "disrespect for what others have learned, and joy is attached to friends". After Wang Chong's death, Grain Rain said in mourning for his old friend: "Qing Yi is simple and broad, and there is no dispute with things. People are like yellow books." It is friendly to respect officials and stay in Confucianism for many years, but I don't like it. "(Gu Yu's Wang Chong, Artest Student). Although Wang Chong is a teacher-student relationship, and Wang Chong is 25 years old, the literati value Wang Chong's noble character, make friends with him, and become close friends because of his frequent travel, poetry and singing. Wen Zhiming praised Wang Chong in his epitaph: "You are noble, bright, diligent and conscientious, and you despise everything that is beneficial to the times. "... the existence of his will must be based on words. "Is really a word.
Wang Chong's living environment and moral cultivation have created his aesthetic psychology and calligraphy purport. In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu once said: "Elegant and elegant books are beautiful and almost like people." (Postscript of Gu Ya Ji), pointing out the relationship between his character and books. Wang Chong's high-spirited attitude gave birth to his aesthetic psychology. Just like his poems, his desire for seclusion and contempt for a rich life can be seen everywhere-he slowly conveyed to us a feeling of tranquility, elegance, loneliness and being far from the world with his pen.
The decline of Wang Chong's calligraphy was obviously influenced by the calligraphy style at that time, especially by Zhu Yunming. Wang Chong and Zhu Yun share the same interests and have a deep friendship. Although their artistic ideas are different, it is inevitable to learn from each other. Zhu Yunming fully released his personality in the cursive script, and fully demonstrated his chic, unrestrained and enthusiastic personality with pen and structure, full of arrogance. Like Zhu Yunming, Wang Chong has an independent spirit in calligraphy. Although he has the experience of copying vows, he does not follow the trend and intends to forge his personal face. I often draw with my fingers on my stomach before I die, because "I wish Jing Zhao (Yun Ming) would make my book a master of Meng Qi, even if I die, why can't I see this old underground?" (Wang Shizhen's Postscript to Wang Yayi's Miscellaneous Poems)
Wang Chong's cursive style is close to Zhu Yunming's because he not only copied Zhu Yunming, but also copied like Zhu. Wang Shimao has a unique view on the relationship between Zhu and Wang's calligraphy: "The calligraphy admired by Wu people, the Nineteen Ancient Poems of the former (Zhu Yunming) and the cursive script of Wang in his later years all came from this. The book of wishes is especially rich in God; It is not easy for Wang Cao to imitate the words "desire", "strength" and "poverty". He got nothing in ancient posts. The world doesn't see Huailin's calligraphy. How can Mr. An know Mr. Er's calligraphy? Although this book is engraved in the article "Stop the Cloud Pavilion Post", its meaning is distorted, which is the last result. It's really the essence of the Song Dynasty, and the second gentleman began to see it. (Wang Shimao's Letter for Dear Uncle Ji's Night Rest)
Because Wang Chong studied under Zhu Yunming and Li Huailin, his early calligraphy style was the closest to Zhu Yunming's. Gu Fu commented on Wang Chong's cursive poem Baique Temple in his later years and said, "Like Huai Su, it is bright and round. Open the book as a scroll, and in the end, it is elegant and decent. I have enjoyed it for many years, so I don't want Shan Zhi to be famous all over the world! " Although Wang Chong later sought to dilute the elegant style of calligraphy with the change of aesthetic taste of calligraphy, and tried to get rid of the influence of Zhu Yunming and Li Huailin, until the later period, the "declining trend" of his calligraphy still could not be eliminated. Comparing his two four-line poems with Zhu Yunming's calligraphy, we can find that his movements are heavy with pen, and his gestures are changeable, which vaguely retains the typical characteristics of Zhu Yunming's calligraphy.
In his later years, Wang Shizhen praised Wang Chong's calligraphy, saying, "Although the structure is small and sparse, the sky is rotten, the posture is horizontal and powerful". ("Yizhou Mountain Man Draft") received rave reviews. And Wang Chong's calligraphy in his later years, as the contradictory unity of decline and dilution, is not just the externalization of his contradictory mood of anger and dilution? -the separation and contradiction between real life and personality ideal made him angry, but he jumped out of the dust. But under the frustration of illness and failure, he gradually faded and became a gentle and unyielding gentleman. Wang Chong's inner contradictions and pains, as well as his feelings and helplessness revealed by his lack of talent, are finally hidden in his reserved words. He wrote in "A Soup in a Mountain": "The goodness of the mountain forest is times that of many generations. I wandered around the lake and forgot to come back ... I was tired of writing, leaving only a picture and a book, talking to the ancients, but I couldn't solve it. I always laugh, I am hungry, and I am full. When you have to be rich, congratulate yourself sincerely every day, and I am afraid it will not be today. Look forward to it! "
In anger and dilution, Wang Chong spent his dull and short life. ...