Zhang Zhi and Zhong You are two important figures in the ancient calligraphy history of China, and their calligraphy works represent the models of cursive script and regular script respectively. Zhang Zhi is known as the "sage of grass", and his greatest contribution to calligraphy lies in cursive script; Zhong You is known as the "father of regular script", and his greatest contribution is regular script.
Zhang Zhi's cursive script is magnificent, fluent and natural, full of strong personality and artistic appeal. He inherited the essence of the previous cursive script, and integrated his personal aesthetic taste and artistic conception into it, forming a unique cursive style. At that time, Zhang Zhi's cursive script was famous for a while and was respected and loved by many calligraphers.
His work "Urgent Chapter" is known as "the first cursive script in the world", which has a far-reaching impact on the development of cursive scripts in later generations. Until today, calligraphers who study cursive script still study and copy Zhang Zhi's calligraphy based on his works. It can be said that Zhang Zhi's greatest contribution to calligraphy lies in pushing cursive script to a new height, leaving rich artistic treasures for later generations.
Zhong You's regular script is dignified and elegant, and its composition is rigorous, which reflects his unique views on calligraphy. On the basis of previous regular script, he further standardized the techniques of stippling, structure and layout, making regular script more aesthetic and practical. Zhong You's regular script works include the Declaration Form and the He Jie Table, among which the Declaration Form is known as the "first regular script".
His calligraphy influenced a large number of calligraphers in later generations, such as Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, and they also made great achievements in regular script. It can be said that Zhong You's greatest contribution is to standardize and develop regular script, leaving a valuable calligraphy legacy for future generations.
In the history of calligraphy, the achievements of Zhang Zhi and Zhong You did not exist in isolation. Their calligraphy works and techniques reflect each other and promote the prosperity of China's calligraphy. After them, Wang Xizhi and other calligraphers continued to carry forward, making regular script, cursive script and other calligraphy schools continue to develop and inherit in the long history.