A brief history of the development of official characters

(1) From the Qin Dynasty to the middle of the Western Han Dynasty, Guli belonged to the Guli stage of Lishu. Li in ancient times was called in the Qin Dynasty. The official script of Qin dynasty was interested in seal script, and the strokes were smooth and smooth. In ancient Li's early days, practical pens were the mainstay, and the perfection of pens was emphasized. No thickness, no thinness, no Mo Yun. There is no requirement for words. While changing Qin Zhuan's circle into a square fold, there are also strokes that destroy the "balance". At the end of the text, the so-called "falcon tail" appeared. In the mature Western Han Dynasty, both vertical and horizontal paintings were mixed with "falcon tail", which made the unbalanced knot in the early period of Guli tend to be balanced again. It can be said that the maturity of ancient Li was brought about by the exaggeration of horizontal and vertical brushwork. At that time, Guli only paid attention to convenience and practicality in techniques, and did not consciously pursue artistry. (2) The Eastern Han Dynasty in Han Li was a period of mature and prosperous official script, and it was an era when official script art shone brilliantly. Han Li can be divided into two systems: bamboo slips and inscriptions. 1, Han bamboo slips: written by people in the Han Dynasty, mostly by folk calligraphers in the Han Dynasty. Although not written by famous writers and calligraphers, there are many excellent works in Han bamboo slips. There are a large number of bamboo slips, and tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of words have been unearthed so far, with a long time span, which lasted 500 years from pre-Qin to the end of Han Dynasty. In addition to the simplicity and naivety of Qin and Western Han Dynasties, bamboo slips in the Eastern Han Dynasty have matured, completely getting rid of the legacy of seal script and becoming a typical official script, which can be compared with the inscriptions in the Eastern Han Dynasty. The brushwork, composition and white cloth of bamboo slips are unique. Because of the complexity of the book, the pen is different. In the Guli stage, although the pen was changed from round to square, it inherited the round brushwork in the center of seal script, and the font was rectangular and vertical. In Han Li stage, the pen used to divide calligraphy was changed to Fang Bi, the thickness of lines changed, and the font changed from rectangular to flat, showing a horizontal trend. The development and transition process of official script can be seen from the pen and shape. Bamboo slips are also different in layout. Bamboo slips in the Western Han Dynasty often have vertical rows but no horizontal rows. By the Eastern Han Dynasty, bamboo slips were basically arranged vertically and horizontally. It can also be seen in the single-row bamboo slips that they are tilted to the left to make way for Apollo's paintings. This is the artistic treatment of brushwork and composition after the development of official script, but there is no such phenomenon in simplified Chinese characters with seal meaning. There is also a tendency to draw vertically and draw long strokes in bamboo slips, and there is often a thirst for pens. Bold brushstrokes and bold use of ink, coupled with the sense of fluidity in the pen, make composition and line drawing more vivid, dense and changeable, resulting in a naive and natural artistic effect. This creation in brushwork and composition was later adopted by cursive composition. This rule is also reflected in the bamboo slips, which laid the foundation for the maturity of Cao Zhang's calligraphy. In a word, the calligraphy art of bamboo slips is rich and colorful, which has made indelible contributions to the development of calligraphy art of official script, regular script, running script and cursive script in later generations. 2. Inscriptions: Han steles generally refer to the official script inscriptions and cliff stone carvings in the Han Dynasty. There are few stone carvings in the Western Han Dynasty, and its calligraphy style is slightly like seal script, with simple structure, interesting Gu Zhuo and no obvious ripple. Its calligraphy form is what the ancients called "eight points", all of which are official scripts with seal brush. In the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the structure of Lishu was neat and Fang Zhengzhi, and decorative elements were added, so it began to have a unique style. The thickness and angle of stippling have changed, and the posture has changed from rectangular to flat, resulting in the pitching trend of stippling. The wavy stippling of silkworm head and goose tail, coupled with the structural characteristics of mutual opposition and integration, made the stippling of this period flying and varied. The period of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling in the Eastern Han Dynasty was the heyday of Han Li's development. Most of the inscriptions on Han Li that we saw are works of this period, about 170 kinds, each with its own style, which is the pinnacle of the calligraphy art of Lishu. The inscriptions are all mature works, with thick writing and different styles, mostly Han Li's representative works. From the artistic style, it can be roughly divided into the following categories: First, it is beautiful and elegant. Such as "Cao Quanbei" and "Shi Chenbei", the brushwork is round and elegant, like flowing water, with exquisite structure, flat structure and elegant posture, which is the representative of round pen. Second, dignified and rigorous. Such as the Ritual Monument, the Yiying Monument and Huashan Temple. The book style is dense, the Jun Fang is firm, the pen is ups and downs, the Fiona Fang is alternating, the thickness is good, and the pen is smooth. Third, it is rich and ancient. For example, Zhang Qianbei, Fang Heng Monument, Song of Xiqiao, Yellow River Monument, etc. , are vigorous, square, steep, loose inside the structure and tight outside, with Gu Zhuo's pen, meaning lofty and ancient, is actually the representative of Han Lifang's pen. Fourth, strange vertical posture. For example, Ode to Shimen, Stone Carving on the Stone Appreciating Road and Illustration. The style is rich and natural, open and generous, simple and interesting, not artificial, and it is called cursive script in official script, which is close to the pen for seal script. In the Qing Dynasty, Yang Shoujing called "Ode to Shimen": "His pen is like a wild crane in the clouds, flying high and the Six Dynasties are sparse, all from this." Since the maturity of the official script in the Eastern Han Dynasty, China's characters began to be divided into blocks and became "near-style characters", which have been used ever since. Later regular script only enriched and improved some strokes on the form formed at that time, and did not change or exceed the form formed at that time. The most important role of official script in the history of China calligraphy is the innovation of brushwork, which is tortuous and budding. The brushwork before Lishu, whether it is Oracle Bone Inscriptions carved with a knife or Zhu Fan's inscriptions, has different styles in fonts, but the brushwork has something in common: uniform thickness, smooth edges and corners, natural connection, leaving no trace, showing a round and smooth state. From the point of view of brushwork, it belongs to the method of round pen and heart. But the pen and the pen center, round, inconvenient and fast requirements, inevitably monotonous. While the font structure of official script has changed, it is inevitable to explore and innovate the brushwork, and start to use Fiona Fang to make up for the shortage of the brushwork of official script. Liberated the brushwork. The strokes began to emphasize priorities, and the stroke size also changed. In the uneven position, because of the tendency of left and right strokes, the font tends to be flat, and the mutual restriction and influence between strokes and structure make Han Li show a horizontal stretch and a vertical compactness, which has become a unique method of using a pen and binding the body, creating a new situation of unprecedented beauty in calligraphy. The Wei-Jin period after the Han Dynasty is an important historical stage for the evolution and perfection of the style of "near-style characters". During this period, orthodox books gradually improved and tended to be stereotyped, becoming the mainstream of applied characters, making calligraphy a kind of consciousness and art. Facing the increasingly mature cursive script, running script and official script, official script has strict rules and is not as good as the above-mentioned script in expressing interest. Wei, Jin and Tang Dynasties are called "Jin and Tang Dynasties" in the history of calligraphy. The official script of this era is far from the prosperity of the Han Dynasty. Compared with the official script of Han dynasty, the official script of Jin and Tang dynasties has two characteristics: first, the development and evolution of calligraphy brushwork has played a great role in the development of calligraphy. In seal script, round pen has always been dominant. In Han Li, Fang Bi began to sweep the world with a formal and intentional new brushwork. During the Wei, Jin, Sui and Tang Dynasties, the general trend of brushwork was more square, which was reflected in Weibei. In the Tang Dynasty, it became rigid due to the abuse of Fang Bi. Secondly, in addition to the characteristics of Fang Bi, the official script in Jin and Tang Dynasties also has a feature of writing official script in the form of official script. In the ink slips of Lishu, the modeling method has been conceived. In the process of formalization of official script, the brushwork was strict and neat, and the original brushwork was sorted, processed and deleted, thus eliminating Lian Bi's involuntary traction caused by carelessness. After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the official script was used more and more widely, and the brushwork played a role, which made the official script in this period light the seal meaning and emphasize the model method, which was obviously different from that in Han Li. With the addition of Fang Bi and regular script, the official script in Jin and Tang Dynasties has the characteristics of strict rules, simplicity and elegance. From the whole process of Jin and Tang Dynasties, the official script of Wei, Jin and Six Dynasties is more square than that of Sui and Tang Dynasties. With the development of official script in Tang Dynasty, except Fang Bi in Wei and Jin Dynasties, the method of mold opening became more and more interesting, and even only the style of official script was left, and the brushwork was completely lost. The official script "Fang Bei" handed down today is far from official script, and it all appears as official script. Although it is a generation, it is often unable to transcend the limitations of the times. Only, Shi, Han Zemu and Tang Xuanzong are world-famous officials. In the Tang Dynasty, the official script had been finalized in Xishan. Although it has a generation of masters, it can't compare with Han Li. After the Tang dynasty, people paid less and less attention to the official script in calligraphy art. In the Song Dynasty, cursive script, which was freely written and suitable for expressing feelings, occupied the mainstream of the book world. Throughout the Five Dynasties to the Ming Dynasty, there was no legacy of Han Li. In this 600-year history, only the Party of the Jin Dynasty was a famous official. Although he took the monument of Fahan, his words were dignified and simple, but he also lacked everyone's spirit. At the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty, due to the rising trend of epigraphy research and the increasing number of unearthed epigraphy, a wave of epigraphy innovation was formed in calligraphy. Due to the rise of stele study, seal script has been paid more and more attention by the world, and calligraphy is also learning from Han stele, and a group of experts who are good at official script have emerged. It is precisely because of this opportunity that the official script of the Qing Dynasty became a dead tree, which made it surpass the Tang and Song Dynasties and become another peak after Han Li. In the Qing dynasty, official script inherited the bronze seal, borrowed from the French and Han people, involved in the North Monument, and created a new generation. Some scholars divide the official script in Qing Dynasty into official script in early Qing Dynasty and official script in late Qing Dynasty, with Deng as the watershed. Zheng Zhi (1622- 1693) specializes in Cao Quan, Shi Sheng and other inscriptions, and can combine them, occasionally participating in cursive brushwork, forming a "leisurely flying", elegant and dignified style of its own, which was recognized by Zhu Yizun, a contemporary engraver (1629-/kloc). Taking the method of "Cao Quan", the brushwork is beautiful and the phonology is detached. Make friends with Zheng Zhi, study and advocate official script, and together with Zheng and Wang Shimin, they are called "the three official scripts in the early Qing Dynasty". They laid the foundation for the revival of official script in Qing Dynasty. Jin Nong (1687 ——1764), whose real name is Dong Xin, is one of the Eight Eccentrics in Yangzhou. Calligraphy is good at official script and identification, and thousands of inscriptions are collected. Early fonts were flat and full of agility. Later, the methods of "national mountain" and "heaven sends god to the north" were adopted. The style of calligraphy has changed greatly, the pen and ink are simple, the style is peculiar, the font is square, the horizontal painting is heavy, and the wings are used together, which creates the unique style of "lacquer calligraphy", which is called "winter heart style". Gui Fu (1733— 1802) is knowledgeable and good at flat appreciation. Lishu is simple and elegant, directly facing the Han people, and was highly respected by people at that time. Deng (1743&; Shy; -1805), a famous epigraph scientist in Qing dynasty, is good at straight script, cursive script, official script and seal script. At that time, he was promoted to "the first national player in the DPRK." His official script is simple, vigorous and colorful. He wrote official script with seal script, which is slightly cursive, so it is round, vigorous and streamer, and its structure is slightly longer than official script. The palace is compact, with the charm of the Northern Wei Dynasty, elegant and luxurious. His achievements in seal script also have a certain position in the whole history of calligraphy. Yi Bingshou (1754- 18 15) is a versatile man who is proficient in seal cutting, painting and poetry. He is an expert in all aspects, including calligraphy and official script. His official script is superior to ancient prose. The bigger the book, the stronger it is. It has its own lofty and broad spirit, dignified structure and integrity. Chen Hongshou (1768— 1822) is one of the "Eight Schools of Xiling". He is knowledgeable in engineering poetry, epigraphy, calligraphy and painting. His official script is close to the Western Han Dynasty in the use of pens, full of seal flavor, natural brushwork, and does not hide his temperament. He (1799- 1884) wrote books all his life, with many couplets, and was known as the "master of couplets". His official script is slow and astringent, but his strokes are too shaky, which may be related to his writing method. Zhao (1829— 1884) is a superman with artistic talent. His stone painting calligraphy will never approach others. He is an expert in calligraphy, especially Wei Bei. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, his official script was integrated with Han Li, taking the advantages of both. Everyone's manners are everywhere. The rise of official script in Qing dynasty played a pioneering role in promoting the study of steles in Qing dynasty. Since then, it has changed the situation of iron and blood monopolizing the book world. In the Qing Dynasty, besides the vigorous advocacy of calligraphy theorists, the stele study overwhelmed the paste study, mainly based on official script, because the calligraphy style of the Northern Wei Dynasty was enthusiastically sought after after after He and Zhao in the late Qing Dynasty, and the rise of seal script was also after Qianlong and Jiaqing. The journey of official script began in the early Qing Dynasty. It can be said that official script initiated the study of steles and has been carried out throughout the development process. Although the success of official script in Qing dynasty depends on the development of stele study, the influence of stele study in Qing dynasty would not be so far-reaching without the great achievements of official script. It can be seen that the revival of official script in Qing Dynasty essentially changed the road of calligraphy development and became an important historical turning point. In painting, some people use official methods to paint, such as Shi Tao in Qing Dynasty. In the seal, official script can be printed and inscribed. Many influential calligraphers still focus on exploring the changes of official script. Therefore, it is not surprising that official script is still a popular art. The process of immigration in Qing Dynasty is indeed of infinite reference value to us. Most calligraphers have always advocated that learning calligraphy should start with seal script and official script and explore the source. If you write it, you can catch up with Da and Xiao Zhuan and attack Kai, Xing and Cao. The brushwork is varied, from routine to simplicity, and many problems in the book will naturally be solved.