The Ancient Art of Writing:Selections from the History of Chinese Calligraphy,Period 2016/7/1 to 2016/9/25,Northern Branch Gallery 204、206
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To meet the need for recording information and ideas, unique forms of calligraphy (the art of writing) have been part of the Chinese cultural tradition through the ages. Naturally finding applications in daily life, calligraphy still serves as a continuous link between the past and the present. The development of calligraphy, long a subject of interest in Chinese culture, is the theme of this exhibit, which presents to the public selections from the National Palace Museum collection arranged in chronological order for a general overview.

The dynasties of the Qin (221-206 BCE) and Han (206 BCE-220 CE) represent a crucial era in the history of Chinese calligraphy. On the one hand, diverse forms of brushed and engraved "ancient writing" and "large seal" scripts were unified into a standard type known as "small seal." On the other hand, the process of abbreviating and adapting seal script to form a new one known as "clerical" (emerging previously in the Eastern Zhou dynasty) was finalized, thereby creating a universal script in the Han dynasty. In the trend towards abbreviation and brevity in writing, clerical script continued to evolve and eventually led to the formation of "cursive," "running," and "standard" script. Since changes in writing did not take place overnight, several transitional styles and mixed scripts appeared in the chaotic post-Han period, but these transformations eventually led to established forms for brush strokes and characters.

The dynasties of the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) represent another important period in Chinese calligraphy. Unification of the country brought calligraphic styles of the north and south together as brushwork methods became increasingly complete. Starting from this time, standard script would become the universal form through the ages. In the Song dynasty (960-1279), the tradition of engraving modelbook copies became a popular way to preserve the works of ancient masters. Song scholar-artists, however, were not satisfied with just following tradition, for they considered calligraphy also as a means of creative and personal expression.

Revivalist calligraphers of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), in turning to and advocating revivalism, further developed the classical traditions of the Jin and Tang dynasties. At the same time, notions of artistic freedom and liberation from rules in calligraphy also gained momentum, becoming a leading trend in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Among the diverse manners of this period, the elegant freedom of semi-cursive script contrasts dramatically with more conservative manners. Thus, calligraphers with their own styles formed individual paths that were not overshadowed by the mainstream of the time.

Starting in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), scholars increasingly turned to inspiration from the rich resource of ancient works inscribed with seal and clerical script. Influenced by an atmosphere of closely studying these antiquities, Qing scholars became familiar with steles and helped create a trend in calligraphy that complemented the Modelbook school. Thus, the Stele school formed yet another link between past and present in its approach to tradition, in which seal and clerical script became sources of innovation in Chinese calligraphy.

Selections

Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River

  1. Wang Xianzhi (344-386), Jin dynasty
  2. Album leaf, ink on paper, 18 x 10 cm

Wang Xianzhi (style name Zijing) was the seventh son of Wang Xizhi. Achieving fame in his early years, he was lofty and untrammeled, becoming renowned at the time. In calligraphy, he excelled at all the script types but was especially famous for his semi-cursive script, becoming known with his father as the "Two Wangs." The original "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" has long been lost and is only known since the Song dynasty on the basis of a stone engraving with thirteen surviving lines known as "Thirteen Lines."

The rubbing here comes from the Biyu Version, the original stone upon which it was based having been discovered at West Lake in Hangzhou. Excavated from the ruins of the Banxian Hall of Jia Sidao (1213-1275), later generations believed that Jia had it engraved. The character forms in this work are even and harmonious, their force beautifully untrammeled with a spirited and fleeting manner, the brushwork free and easy. The brushwork no longer retains vestiges of clerical script, the forms expanding horizontally with force that becomes vertical, making it a mature work of regular script that later generations praised as an exceptional example of small regular script.

Du Fu's Poetry on the Alder Tree

  1. Su Shi (1037-1101), Song dynasty
  2. Handscroll, ink on paper, 27.9 x 85.4 cm

Su Shi (style name Zizhan, self-styled sobriquet Dongpo jushi), a native of Meishan in Sichuan, was a multi-talented genius versed in the Classics and history; his poetry, prose, painting, and calligraphy were all outstanding in a style of his own. Du Fu's poem "Tangcheng" describes scenes of a thatched hut, relating the disasters of war and Du's sentiments of settling in Chengdu. Su Shi used Du's poetry here to voice his own feelings of banishment to Huangzhou. The colophon also employs Du's poetry to explain that the alder tree is easily grown and favored by farmers. This handscroll in running script has smooth, beautiful characters that stretch outwards. The brushwork is vigorous and ink tones dynamic, making it a masterpiece with rich harmony from Su's middle years. This work has been entrusted to the National Palace Museum from the Lanqian shanguan collection.

Five-Character Regulated Verse

  1. Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), Ming dynasty
  2. Hanging scroll, ink on paper, 191 x 72.2 cm

Wen Zhengming (original name Bi; going by his style name Zhengming; self-styled sobriquet Hengshan), a native of Suzhou, studied literature in his youth under Wu Kuan (1435-1504), calligraphy from Li Yingzhen (1431-1493), and painting with Shen Zhou (1427-1509). Wen sat for the civil service examinations ten times but never passed. He was later recommended as a Hanlin Academician-in-Waiting and resigned less than five years later, returning home to live in reclusion.

Wen excelled at both painting and calligraphy, being gifted in all the script forms. In his middle years, Wen mostly worked in Wang Xizhi's style, but the large running script of his later years reflects the style of Huang Tingjian (1045-1105). The manner here is unbridled, having originally been a poem Wen had inscribed on a painting entitled "Streams and Mountains Before Snow" that he did for someone. The calligraphy is based on that of Huang Tingjian and closely follows his style.

Transcription of Poetry

  1. Huang Daozhou (1585-1646), Ming dynasty
  2. Album leaf, ink on paper, 24.9 x 29 cm

Huang Daozhou (style name Youyuan, sobriquet Shizhai), a native of Zhangpu (modern Dongshan County, Fujian), was a Presented Scholar of 1622 and later became Minister of Rites. He died resisting the Manchus after the fall of the Ming in 1644 and was renowned for his steadfast loyalty and piety. He was also gifted at poetry and prose, his painting and calligraphy archaic as he fused regular, running, cursive, and clerical scripts for a style of his own.

This masterpiece of small standard script is from 1639, when Huang was 54 years old. The line spacing is spacious and the brushwork adapted from Zhong You's (151-230) style. Characters vary from left to right and tall to short, having an uprightness to the slant. The brushwork is also simple yet refined and stern, making this an ideal reflection of Huang Daozhou's personal quality.

Exhibit List

Title
Artist
Period
Note
Ink Rubbing of the Stone Classics in Three Scripts
Anonymous
Wei dynasty (220-265)
Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River
Wang Xianzhi (344-386)
Jin dynasty
Ink Rubbing of the "Thousand-Character Essay in Standard and Cursive Script"
Zhiyong (ca. 510-ca. 610)
Sui dynasty
Song Ink Rubbing of the Duobao Pagoda Stele
Yan Zhenqing (709-785)
Tang dynasty
Ink Rubbing of the Stele at the Temple of Confucius Written by Cheng Hao
Mengying (fl. 10th c.)
Song dynasty
Du Fu's Poetry on the Alder Tree
Su Shi (1037-1101)
Song dynasty
Entrusted from the Lanqian shanguan collection
Letter
Zhu Dunru (1081-1159)
Song dynasty
Letter to Directorial Aide Yan
Zhao Mengjian (1199-ca. 1264)
Song dynasty
Five-Character Archaic Verse
Rao Jie (?-1367),
Yuan dynasty
Five-Character Regulated Verse
Wen Zhengming (1470-1559)
Ming dynasty
Copy of Su Shi's Homecoming Ode
Peng Nian (1505-1567)
Ming dynasty
Transcription of Poetry
Huang Daozhou (1585-1646)
Ming dynasty
Seven-Character Couplet in Seal Script
Yang Yisun (1812-1881)
Qing dynasty
Eight-Character Couplet in Clerical Script
Wang Ti (1880-1960)
Republican period