(According to research, about 1710-1790). Liang Gao was a well-known and influential calligrapher in the middle of the Qing Dynasty. His calligraphy skills were well-known in various calligraphy schools, and he was famous all over the country for his calligraphy work of Li Beihai (Li Yong). Yang Shoujing once commented in "Xue Shu Yi Yan": "Liang Shanzhou (with the same book) led the southeast, and Liang Wenshan prospered in the north. At that time, there were two beams in the north and south, and they were really double walls." ①
According to "Bozhou Chronicles" records that Liang Gao was able to recite "Mao Shi" at the age of four, and finished reading classics and history at the age of twelve. When he was weak, he studied with his brother Liang Feng at "Zhongshan Academy" in Jinling (Nanjing), where he studied under Chen Shigu. He took part in the imperial examinations many times, but failed in all of them. When he was in his fifties, he went to the capital again to take the exam, but he still failed. Then he settled in the capital and made a living by selling calligraphy. By chance, he met Prince Cheng Yonghuang (the eleventh son of Emperor Qianlong) who was good at calligraphy and praised him: "He writes well and has a good start." Later, he was recommended to Qianlong by Emperor Yongwang. In the twenty-seventh year of Qianlong's reign (1762), the 53-year-old Liang Qian was awarded the title of Wenlin Lang Renwu by Qianlong. He was a member of the imperial examination and was born with the same Jinshi. He taught in Luxian'an Palace and soon became the magistrate of Badong County, Hubei Province. Badong is a small, impoverished mountainous county with a small population and difficult financial resources. Liang Gao served as magistrate of Badong County for nine years. He was unable to be promoted because he was an upright person and not good at welcoming people. Later, because his mother was old, he resigned and returned to his hometown of Bozhou in the 36th year of Qianlong's reign (1771). In the 39th year of Qianlong's reign (1774), Zhang Peifang went to Shouzhou to serve as the magistrate of the state, and personally went to Bozhou to invite Liang Xian to serve as the headmaster (dean) of the "Xunli Academy" in Shouzhou. At this time, Liang Xian was already sixty-five years old.
Liang Xian presided over the Methodist School in Shouzhou for more than ten years. His treatise notes such as "Wenshan Commentary" and "Chengjin Zhaiji Wenlu" were all written during his lectures in Shouzhou. Organized. During his more than ten years in Shouzhou, in addition to teaching classics and history to his disciples, he also taught them calligraphy techniques and the essentials of learning calligraphy. He said in "Cheng Jin Zhai Ji Wen Lu·On Writing Writing": "I have been teaching at Xunli Academy for more than ten years. I recall that when I first arrived, I taught people how to write writing. It was all said that writing for the ancients did not have to be done in the same way, and it was a false accusation. He thought he was deceiving others, but now there are many people who have made progress in calligraphy learning due to my law enforcement, and people have begun to stop ridiculing and believe in him." ② It can be seen that he deliberately brought a group of calligraphy disciples during his lectures and taught him his life. The experience of learning calligraphy was passed on to them without reservation, which played an important role in the later development of calligraphy in Shouzhou area and its becoming a famous "hometown of calligraphy" in the Jianghuai area.
In 1774 AD (the thirty-ninth year of Qianlong's reign), the young calligrapher Deng Shiru (1743-1805) inherited his father's business and set up a library in Shouzhou to teach. On the one hand, he came to Shouzhou to earn money to support his family. On the other hand, he admired Liang Xian's calligraphy and personality. He hoped to get to know Liang Xian in Shouzhou and worship Liang Xian as his teacher. At that time, Liang Gao was well-known in the north and south of the Yangtze River, while Deng Shiru was still a humble scholar who was just starting out. No matter in terms of age, qualifications, or education, Liang Gao was worthy of being Deng Shiru’s teacher. However, after Liang Gao saw the seals Deng Shiru carved for the students of Methodist College and the fans written in small seal script, he admired Deng Shiru’s talent very much and praised him. : "This man is not familiar with ancient Dharma, and his writing style is powerful and unparalleled. At its best, he can defeat a great man who has lived for hundreds of years." Liang Gao, with Bole's vision, believed that Deng Shiru could become a great master in the future. If he accepts Deng Shiru as his disciple, it will restrict Deng's future development. Therefore, Deng is not allowed to hold him as a disciple. Instead, as a friend and confidant, he inspires, guides and helps Deng Shiru in his study and seal management. On the one hand, he He gave guidance and encouraged Deng to deepen his studies. Later, he personally wrote a letter to introduce Deng Shiru to his good friend Mei Wenmu in Jinling, which provided favorable conditions for Deng Shiru to further his studies and improve his art.
Liang Gao grew up during the period of the metabolism of stele and calligraphy. He was one of the first calligraphers to advocate adopting the methods of Zhou, Qin, Han and Wei. His calligraphy practice and calligraphy thoughts played an important role in the rise of the calligraphy style of stele study in the mid-Qing Dynasty. Influence. In terms of calligraphy, although he did not advocate the stele and the calligraphy as much as the later Bao Shichen and Kang Youwei, he did have an objective and fair evaluation of the stele and the calligraphy. In his notes on calligraphy, "Ancient and Modern Law Calligraphy", he The bronze inscriptions of the Zhou Dynasty and the stele inscriptions of the Han and Wei dynasties were all highly praised, ③ pioneering the study of stele studies in the Qing Dynasty. This was very commendable in the middle Qing Dynasty when the pavilion style was popular.
Mr. Zhang Shuhou, a well-known calligrapher during the Republic of China, made the following comments on Liang Xian's life and calligraphy art in "Huainan Qijiu Biography": "Since the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, calligraphers have advocated pavilion posts, and there are few people who lecture on monuments. When the inscriptions on the stele were being replaced, he once wrote a book on the stele editions of the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties, and briefly discussed the appropriateness of copying. As for copying, he was modest, but the scale was not the same as that of Li Beihai. It is restrained by the wind and charm. It is clear and pleasant like green trees and green bamboos. The writing is best in cursive script, followed by regular script, which is intended to be passed down to the world. After becoming an official, he served as the lecturer at Wushou Academy for the longest time, and he used the ink on the old stone. So far, I have lived a long life.” ④Here, what Zhang Shuhou said about “taste of a book” refers to the "Chengjin Zhaiji Wenlu" written by Liang Xian while he was giving lectures in Shouzhou. This book was published by the Anhui Provincial Official Paper Printing Bureau in the third year of the Republic of China, and a handwritten copy has been circulated among the people. In 1984, when the Shanghai Calligraphy and Painting Publishing House compiled and published the "Chinese Calligraphy Series", it revised and reprinted the book. There are eight aspects including "On Writing", "On Learning Calligraphy", "On Inkstone", "On Seal" and "Miscellaneous Theory". It systematically and comprehensively describes his understanding and understanding of various aspects of calligraphy. There are many insights that have never been published before, and the discussion is very detailed and precise. For example, it is stated in "Study of Calligraphy": "Studying calligraphy is like studying classics. You should first study extensively, and then return to the original." , we must obtain its spiritual bones, courage, character, and vitality, and don't just look at it superficially without seeking deeply." 5 These views had a certain influence on the calligraphy style at that time and later.
Liang Xian had many books and monuments throughout his life. He taught at Shouzhou Methodist College for the longest time and left the most inscriptions on inscriptions. Liang Xian recorded in "Autographs and Postscripts" that he wrote 53 types of tablets for Bozhou, Shouzhou, Sizhou, Jiangning, Yangzhou, Xuanzhou, Anqing, Tongcheng, Suzhou, Xuzhou and other places. There are only 8 kinds in his hometown of Bozhou, but there are 17 kinds of tablets in Shouzhou, ranking first in the number of tablets everywhere. He once said in his "Postscript on Self-writing": "Of all the steles I have written, "Baoen Temple" in Shouzhou is the best, followed by "Sun's Leshu Ji". "Leshu Ji" is ancient, thick and solid, ranking first among all the steles. "On the stele." 6 This shows that the calligraphy inscriptions he left in the Shouzhou area are not only the largest in number, but also of high quality. Judging from what we have collected, there are 62 pieces of Liangshan steles with well-documented calligraphy, and the specific distribution is as follows:
Seven pieces in Bozhou: Tangling Stele, Luxianping Temple Stele , Academy Monument, Jiang Gong Disaster Relief Monument, Du Yugong Li Gong's Dezheng Monument, Liu Gong's Epitaph Monument, and Bayeux Sutra Monument.
Fifteen blocks in Shouzhou: Xunli Academy Stele, Baqu Temple Stele, Xiannongtan Stele, Zhenwu Temple Stele, Bailongtan Dragon King Temple Stele, Liu and Huang Ergong Ancestral Stele, Kuixing Tower Stele, City Soil The Imperial Temple Monument, Sun Shi Leshu Memorial Monument, Baoen Temple Monument, Zhao Songxue's Seven-Character Postscript, Yinzhi Monument, Yubeicang Memorial Monument, and Taishang Influence Monument.
Five blocks in Fengyang: City God Stele, Yin Zhiwen Stele, Drum Tower Stele, Yilou Memorial Stele, and Yan Gong Blood Stone Stele.
Sizhou four blocks: Sizhou governance monument, glass spring monument, Sakya Temple monument, Yigu Temple monument.
Three pieces in Jiangning: the Tablet of Loyalty, the Tablet of Promise of the Eight Temples, and the Tablet of Fang’s Festival of Filial Piety.
Three pieces in Yangzhou: Kangshan Stele, Shi Gebu Stele, and Zhang Kuan Sing and Poetry Stele.
Nine blocks in Anqing: the governor's inscription stele, the Xiyu stele, the Shuangjinlou stele, the Gefutai ancestor's epitaph monument in Xinghai Cemetery, the Gefutai father's epitaph monument, the Gefutai biography stele, and the Grand View Pavilion record. Stele, Yuxi poetry engraving, Guandi Temple stele.
Two pieces of Dangtu: the tombstone of Bian Ruren and the monument of the reconstructed Dangtu County School.
Two pieces in Yixian County, Shandong Province: the memorial tablet of Han Prime Minister Le'an Hou and the Shiliquan Singing and Poetry tablet.
A piece of Suzhou: a monument inscribed by Suzhou Prefecture.
A piece of Wuyuan: Wang's Monument.
One piece from Tongcheng: Donating the Panfu Monument to the Imperial Examination.
A piece of Xuzhou: Yang Gonggao sealing monument.
One piece of Ningguo: Rebuilding the north tower monument.
A piece of Shexian County: Bao Jun’s family biography monument.
Wu Jin Yiyi: Monument passed down by Qian Ruren.
A piece of Fuyang: the epitaph of the Duke of Tuo of Dantu County, Houxuan.
Two blocks in Datong, Shanxi: a monument to the biographies of the imperial heroes and a monument to the general biographies of Ren Yonglie, the commander-in-chief of Chongqing.
Most of the above-mentioned inscriptions were written while giving lectures in Shouzhou. Judging from the geographical distribution, Shouzhou is also the center and radiates to all directions. The large number of calligraphy tablets, their wide distribution, and the exquisiteness of their calligraphy and engravings were second to none in the mid-Qing Dynasty. From this, we can see the reputation Liang Gao's calligraphy enjoyed in the mid-Qing Dynasty. Pei Jingfu said in the preface to the Pei-yin version of "Chengjin Zhaiji Wenlu": "Since Dong Xiangguang, although he was regarded as the sage of Zhucheng (Liu Yong), he spared no effort to make up for the examination of Chu, but he still occasionally used his appearance to charm people, but Mr. Liang Xiang Zhang Wenmin (Zhang Zhao) is worthy of being a calligrapher of Pu Xue, and reading this book will make you believe in it. "Liang Xian lived in an era when the "Pu Xue" trend of thought was flourishing. Pei Xu compared Liang Gong's calligraphy to "the simple science of calligraphers", which is very appropriate. At the same time, it also allows us to see that Liang Xian's calligraphy practice and the emphasis on stele calligraphy in the mid-Qing Dynasty are not unrelated to the prosperity of Pu Xue.