What is Cao Zhang?

Cao Zhang, one of the traditional calligraphy styles, is an early cursive script, which began in the Qin and Han Dynasties and evolved from a cursive official script to a standard cursive script. Cao Zhang is the predecessor of "modern grass", which came into being at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and evolved from Cao Zhang. The main difference from Modern Grass is that it retains the brushwork of official script, and the upper and lower characters are independent and basically unconnected.

Cao Zhang is a calligraphy style that evolved from seal script to official script. It belongs to a link in the process from the embryonic stage to the standardization of cursive script.

Zhang Huaiguan in Tang Dynasty called it "the victory of official script", which evolved from the simple writing of official script. It is a cursive script of official script or a combination of official script and cursive script. It can also be said that Cao Zhang is a script with official script.

Extended data:

Cao Zhang's stick figure originated from Zhuanli. Although the font has been gradually standardized, the interest in strokes is still in the immature primary stage, such as the cursive ink in Ping Fu Tie, Bai Ji Tie and bamboo slips.

Its most fundamental brushwork basically continues the straightforward description of official seal regular script, and shows the characteristics of dragging and twisting in the process of brushwork. Pay attention to the delay of stippling lines, the agility and change of words, and crisscross, which is often very interesting. The arc from left to right is used more, and the whole has a simple and colorful feeling.

Some people call these plays Cao Chuan, Cao Li and Cao Li. Generally speaking, these book traces should be called the products of cursive seal script or official script, or the embryonic form of cursive script. They are the oldest cursive forms, the source of Cao Zhang's art and an important part of Cao Zhang's art.