Today, I will take one person from each of the three categories as an example to understand how he determined the grade of the book. Regarding the three qualities of Shen, Miao and Neng, by what standards they should be evaluated, it seems elusive after reading the above three examples. Let’s take a look at what he said in his general comments after the third product. The general comments roughly stated the following points: 1. "The greatness of the work can be described in words"; 2. "Equal sage and equal proficiency, each has his own best"; 3. "From the bottom to the bottom when the skills are achieved, and the top to the top when the virtues are achieved."
We say that the evaluation of calligraphy is a matter of appreciation of calligraphy and an aesthetic evaluation. It is a feeling of beauty, a comment after feeling it. We read these three examples and saw that the comments by Zhang Huaiguan and other calligraphers all expressed their personal feelings about beauty. Calligraphers writing books are creations, and reviewers reviewing books are also creations.
Zhang Huaiguan said: "Those who know the calligraphy deeply can only observe the spirit but not the shape of the characters. If the meaning is profound, there will be no illumination of the things, so why not make sense." ("On Characters") This means that for the text, People who have a deep understanding of calligraphy should not only pay attention to the shape of the characters, but more importantly, how to examine the inner spirit of the book, that is, the sense of heaviness, strength, rhythm and life given to people by the dots, lines, frames, layout and composition of the book. Feel it, feel its charm, charm and artistic conception. This aesthetic vision and measure are like a particularly sophisticated and spiritual mirror. Is there anything that cannot be reflected, reflected, or penetrated? How can the evaluation of calligraphy works not be "tactful" ("Calligraphy Appraisal")? His feelings and comments about the beauty of calligraphy art are correct.
Chinese characters are composed of movement changes of points and lines. The movement of dots and lines is the movement exerted by the calligrapher's brush on the paper. Changes such as clicks and pauses, priorities, circles and folds, black and white separation, arrangement and combination, etc. are all caused by the calligrapher's will and are all changes made by the calligrapher. The traces of comprehensive qualities such as thoughts, emotions, knowledge, and cultivation. Therefore, this point line is both "static" and "dynamic". Only those who are "deeply knowledgeable in calligraphy" can appreciate the author's spiritual power through the dots and lines of ink condensed on the paper and the white and white lines between the lines. The cursive calligraphy of Zhang Zhi, a calligrapher who is "the best in ancient and modern times", in the eyes of many "knowledgeable calligraphers" in ancient and modern times, can feel that "if a clear stream has a long source, flows infinitely, lingers back in the cliff valley, and is at the mercy of nature"; if A wise man travels in the land of silence, and a luan and a phoenix soar in the wild wilderness." At the same time, only great calligraphers who are "unparalleled in ancient and modern times" can infuse the insights of life into the bottom of their wrists and the tips of their pens, and reveal them between the lines, thus creating immortal works. A mediocre person cannot write good works, nor can he tell the quality of the work. What is the reason? Zhang Huaiguan said: "It's like the eight trigrams are arranged in a row, and the eight tones are harmonious, and the deaf and blind people don't know what they are." "
The process of feeling the beauty of calligraphy is a process of weighing "reason" and moving "emotion". "Reason" can have a conventional standard, but "emotion" is often not completely consistent. Reviewer The feelings of the author will be inconsistent with the feelings of the author, and the feelings between the reviewers will not be consistent either. Therefore, Zhang Huaiguan said in the opening chapter of "Book Review": "One taste is different, and the five tastes are different; the sound of different sounds is the difference between things." lose. They attack each other, and they may add to each other. According to Kuang Shu, is there no bias in love or evil? If it's a matter of millimeters, who can verify it? It can be said that it is fast. "This argument is also very pertinent.
The standards for appreciating and criticizing Chinese calligraphy and painting are often the same. Zhang Huaiguan wrote "Book Break" and "Hua Break". "Hua Break" is also divided into Shen and Miao. , capable of three grades, and was also the earliest proposer of the theory of three grades of Chinese painting. Unfortunately, "Hua Duan" has been lost for a long time. Today, his essays can only be found in the "Records of Famous Paintings of the Past" by Zhang Yanyuan of the Tang Dynasty and also quoted in the "Preface to the Famous Paintings of the Tang Dynasty" by Zhu Jingxuan of the Tang Dynasty. Zhang Huaiguan's "Three Grades Theory" on calligraphy and paintings had a profound influence. There were many subsequent critics, but his "Three Grades Theory" of Qing Dynasty is still the most concise. 》The five qualities of "Shen", "Miao", "Neng", "Yi" and "Jia" are "Shen". There is no trace of brewing, and it is in harmony with each other horizontally and vertically, which is called a wonderful product. After tracing the traces, the source is exhausted, and the thinking power is transferred to it, which is called Nengpin. The self-singing tune of Chu tune is not unreliable and elegant, which is called Yipin. There are signs of observance, elegance has a door, and it is said to be a good product. "Bao's five grades mentioned here are roughly summarized as follows compared with Zhang Huaiguan's three grades: Bao's excellent and wonderful products are approximately equivalent to Zhang's divine products; Bao's divine and wonderful products are approximately equivalent to Zhang's wonderful products; Bao's powerful and excellent products are approximately equal to Zhang's excellent products. Excellent grade is about the same as Zhang’s Neng grade. In this way, our standards for Zhang’s three qualities of Shen, Miao and Neng are as follows: Shen grade, “the perfect method is made by nature, and the charm is transcendent”; Miao grade, “the wonderful method comes from the heart, and the spirit is natural” ; Nengpin, "the established method is in the chest, and the signs are followed."
In "Shujuan·Comments", Zhang Huaiguan said that he "study gradually to become more knowledgeable, and he is not able to repair strange things, and there are many things that he has not exhausted". "These are all famous people in the world, who came to Lu "If you don't meet an enlightened master to develop your talents, and if you don't meet a close friend to promote your career, you don't know." "And if you hold on to extraordinary talents and solitary qualities, they will not be allowed to exist in the world, or they will have no roots. Therefore, Confucius said: 'There are many people who are knowledgeable and thoughtful but have not met them! How can I be alone?' However, knowledge is valuable, practice is hidden, and practice is taboo. It is clear and clear, how can one know everything about it?" This sigh is true.
At the back of the copy of "Shuguan" in the collection of Taizhou Library is a brief review of "Shuguan" by Zhao Xun. Comparing "Shu Duan" to "the system of the great "Yi"" and "the canon of the Spring and Autumn Annals", he pointed out that "there are things written in ancient times that cannot be commented on, and things that can be commented on cannot be written down. Today's books are also unified in the three beauties." And Jueju has become a unique book. Although it was not published by Confucius, it is still a great work by Qiu Ming! "Zhang Huaiguan's "Shuguan" is indeed a masterpiece of book criticism that will last forever. Provide guidance and inspiration to learners, who will always read it and become new.