Wang Xizhi (303-361, 321-379), courtesy name Yishao, Han nationality, was a famous calligrapher in the Eastern Jin Dynasty and was known as the "Sage of Calligraphy". A native of Langya (now Linyi, Shandong), he later moved to Shanyin, Huiji (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang), and lived in seclusion in Jinting, Shan County in his later years. He successively served as secretary Ying, general Ningyuan, governor of Jiangzhou, and later as internal history of Kuaiji, leading the right general. His calligraphy is good at Li, Cao, Kai, Xing and other styles. He studies the styles carefully, imitates them with his heart and hands, draws on the strengths of others, prepares various styles, and cultivates them in one furnace. He breaks away from the writing style of Han and Wei Dynasties and becomes his own style with far-reaching influence. The style is peaceful and natural, the writing style is euphemistic and subtle, and it is beautiful and graceful. His representative work "Lanting Preface" is known as "the best running script in the world". In the history of calligraphy, he and his son Wang Xianzhi are collectively known as the "Two Kings".
Calligraphy style
Wang Xizhi's "Preface to the Lanting Collection" is admired by calligraphers of all ages and is known as "the best running script in the world". Wang was also good at Li, Cao, Kai, Xing and other styles. He studied the styles carefully, imitated them with his heart and hands, picked up the strengths of others, prepared all kinds of styles, and cultivated them in one furnace. He broke away from the writing style of Han and Wei Dynasties and became his own style with far-reaching influence.
Part of the preface to Lanting?. His calligraphy is gentle and natural, his writing style is euphemistic and implicit, and he is beautiful and vigorous. People often use Cao Zhi's "Luo Shen Fu": "As graceful as a startling giant, as graceful as a wandering dragon, with glorious autumn chrysanthemums, and luxuriant spring pines. As if covered by light clouds. "The moon is fluttering like snow in the flowing wind." is a sentence to praise the beauty of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy. Legend has it that Wang Xizhi practiced calligraphy so hard when he was young that over time, the water in the pond used to clean his brushes turned into ink. Later generations commented: "Floating like wandering clouds, powerful like a frightening dragon", "Dragon leaping over the Tianmen, tiger lying in the Phoenix Pavilion", "Nature is natural, and the gods are abundant." There are idioms about him such as penetrating wood three points, east bed fast son-in-law, etc. The most obvious feature of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy style is his delicate brushwork and changeable structure.
Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy has influenced generations of calligraphers. Ouyang Xun, Yu Shinan, Zhu Suiliang, Xue Ji, Heyan Zhenqing, and Liu Gongquan in the Tang Dynasty, Yang Ningshi in the Five Dynasties, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, and Cai Xiang in the Song Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu in the Yuan Dynasty, and Dong Qichang in the Ming Dynasty. These famous calligraphers in the past dynasties were sincerely convinced by Wang Xizhi. , so he enjoys the reputation of "Sage of Calligraphy".