The Four Great Calligraphers in Ancient China and Their Inherited Deeds
2016-01-27 07:47 · Ward Licheng Calligraphy and Painting Academy
1 Yan Zhenqing
Calligraphy was at its peak in the Tang Dynasty, and anyone writing in regular script would be called Yu, Ou, Chu, or Yan. Yan Zhenqing is one of the most innovative calligraphers.
Yan Zhenqing (709-785), named Qingchen, was born in Jingzhao Wannian (now Xi'an, Shaanxi). He came from a distinguished family and was the fifth generation grandson of the famous scholar Yan Shigu. Yan Zhenqing was an upright and upright person, and was known in the official circles as a righteous and righteous man. He was a veteran of four dynasties, but he paid no attention to the ups and downs of his officialdom. Later, he was ordered to recruit Li Xilie, the rebellious envoy of Huaixi Jiedu, who was killed by Li.
The calligraphy of Yan Zhenqing, one of the four great calligraphers in ancient China, was learned at home, but the person who inspired his transformation was Zhang Xu of Wujun. Because he was able to recruit from hundreds of schools and choose freely, the large number of letters he left behind is a testament to his skill. Every time historian Fan Wenlan mentioned Tang books in his writings, he said that "Yan Zhenqing of the prosperous Tang Dynasty was the creator of the new calligraphy style of the Tang Dynasty." Yan's regular script reflects the style of a prosperous age and is majestic; and his cursive style made Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty also admire this calligraphy. The reason is that those calligraphy letters were often written quickly in a state of extreme sadness and indignation. Readers can appreciate this from this article The taste. Emotion melts into art, and artistry creates soul. All excellent arts in history do not violate this principle.
1.1 Hereditary deeds
Yan Zhenqing’s Duobao Pagoda Stele:
Yan Zhenqing, a giant in the world of calligraphy. For thousands of years, only Yan Lugong could stand up to the calligraphy sage Wang Xizhi and stride forward in the world of calligraphy. In the Tang Dynasty, Yan Zhenqing was regarded as the crown prince, while in the Song Dynasty, Yan's calligraphy was also regarded as the great book. Since then, Yan Zhenqing’s book soul has formed a huge force, and has accumulated into an important part of the Chinese nation’s book soul. "New Book of Tang·Biography of Yan Zhenqing" praises: "Although he is 1,500 years old, his heroic words are like the frost and the scorching sun, which can be feared and admired!" The hero's life of sun and moon is the constant source of inspiration for his wonderful calligraphy skills. Drain the source.
2 Liu Gongquan
Liu Gongquan, one of the four great calligraphers in ancient China, lived in the 13th year of the Dali calendar of Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty (778 AD) - the 6th year of Xiantong, Yizong of the Tang Dynasty (865 AD, all year round 88 Years old. Born in Huayuan, Jingzhao (now Yaoxian County, Shaanxi Province). He was an official and later known as "Shaoshi Liu". He first studied Wang Xizhi and studied the calligraphy of Ouyang Xun and Yan Zhenqing, and then developed his own regular script. Mei, the bones are strong and strong. Compared with the Yan body, the Liu character is slightly thinner, so it is called "Yan Jin Liu Gu". Mu Zong asked Liu Gongquan how to use the pen, and Gongquan replied: "Use the pen with the heart in mind, and the pen will be straight. "Gong Mu changed his appearance, just like his writing advice." Zhu Changwen of the Song Dynasty said in "Mochi Bian": "Gongquan's official script and regular script are the most exquisite, and the method is based on appearance. "Emotional and rich, it comes from the famous calligraphy." He first learned Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, and then read all over modern calligraphy, so he tried his best to change his military style, learn from Yan Zhenqing, and incorporate his own new ideas, so that his calligraphy could avoid being thin horizontally and thick vertically, and be balanced. He is thin and tough, pursuing the uncompromising power of Wei stele, his stipples are crisp and straight, his bones are strong, and his structure is tight. Many calligraphers in later generations take Liu Zi as a model.
He was awarded the title of Jinshi at the age of twenty-nine and held a local post. A low-level official, his handwriting was accidentally seen by Emperor Mu Zong of the Tang Dynasty. As soon as he was considered a calligrapher, he was summoned to Chang'an by the court. At that time, Liu Gongquan was already in his forties. He was a man of integrity and meticulous. His calligraphy also revealed this part of his characteristics, and because of this, his reputation and status in Chang'an were improved, and the princes and nobles spent huge sums of money to hire him.
His calligraphy experience in the late Tang Dynasty was flourishing. After the mid-Tang Dynasty, it flourished and then declined. Although Liu Gongquan's calligraphy was revived for a while, it was still slightly inferior to Yan's calligraphy. The calligraphy of the Tang Dynasty flourished for a while, but now it has declined. , often interspersing some strokes closely, making the wide areas particularly open, the strokes are thin and vigorous, and the edges and corners are sharp. Although the strokes were written by Yan Zhenqing, they are different from Yan Zhenqing's broad and broad strokes, which makes him particularly heroic.
Liu Gongquan died at the age of eighty. He served seven emperors for a long time, and finally died in office as the prince and young master.
2.1 Inherited deeds
He has many written records handed down from generation to generation. The ones with more prominent influence include "Xuanmi Pagoda", "Shence Army Stele", "Diamond Sutra", etc.
1. "Shence Army Stele": regular script, the third year of Huichang in Tang Dynasty (843 AD). ) Li. It is one of Liu Gongquan's masterpieces. It has a more distinctive calligraphy style than the well-known "Mysterious Tower" in later generations. The structure is smooth and even, tight on the left and comfortable on the right. It is also a good example for writing.
2. "Liu Shu Diamond Sutra": regular script, engraved in April, Changqinggang Year, Tang Dynasty (AD 824). The original stone was destroyed in the Song Dynasty. An only copy of Tang rubbings from a stone chamber in Dunhuang, Gansu has been handed down from generation to generation without any damage. It is now in the Paris Museum in France. Critics believe that the Diamond Sutra in regular script has the advantages of Zhong (Yao), Wang (Xizhi), Ou (Yang Xun), Yu (Shinan), Chu (Suiliang), and Lu (Dongzhi), and is of high artistic quality. value.
3. "Mysterious Tower Stele": regular script. It was erected in the first February of the first year of Huichang in the Tang Dynasty (AD 841), and the original stele now exists in the Stele Forest in Xi'an, Shaanxi. This monument is the most famous among the calligraphy handed down from generation to generation. It is one of the most influential regular script models in history. For example, "Xuanmi Pagoda Stele":
Liu Gongquan, known as "Liu Shaoshi" in the world, was another master of regular script after Yan Zhenqing in the Tang Dynasty. His regular script and Yan Zhenqing's regular script were collectively called " Yan Jin Liu Gu". He first studied the calligraphy of Yan Zhenqing, and then further studied the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi and his son and Ouyang Xun, and then became his own family. Therefore, Liu Gongquan's regular script is mixed with Ouyang Xun's brushwork. He often intersperses some strokes closely to make the wide areas particularly open. The strokes are thin and vigorous, and the edges and corners are sharp. Although his brushwork comes from Yan Zhenqing, it is different from Yan Zhenqing's vigorous and broad strokes. Particularly heroic. The character "Liu" is clear and strong, and this unique calligraphy style was called "Liu style" by later generations. This book explains Liu Gongquan's 100 methods of regular script radicals in the form of a rice grid. The book is divided into six parts: stroke introduction, radical introduction, single characters, compound structures, collections of characters and representative works. This book is suitable for beginners of different ages to learn calligraphy.