Wang Xu: How to save China's calligraphy? -Contention (reposting)

Talking about calligraphy is already a boring topic. Perhaps, calligraphy has lost its living space at present. In this evil world, poverty made calligraphers lose their minds and gave their only two points to an official who was full of alcohol. Calligraphy can only be a flower arrangement embellishing vanity.

There are no calligraphers at present, but all calligraphers live in a shameful and ignorant situation. The Academy of Fine Arts has a calligraphy major, which teaches seriously and dispels doubts. Books help people to be moral and civilized, and laymen enter the world of books. The whole calligraphy world is in chaos. Some people say that it may be more serious to let these professors from the Academy of Fine Arts go home, get rid of the calligraphy major of the Academy of Fine Arts, abolish the "cult" cancer of the Book Association, and give calligraphy a primitive ecology and let it die. How can people not feel ridiculous? Today's institutions, such as the Academy of Fine Arts, the Painting Academy and the Book Association, still inherit the remnants of China's feudal social art serving bureaucrats, and the rest are unstoppable. The so-called doctor, professor, doctor, chairman, consultant, director and book association member is a strict pyramid official position mechanism and wealth ladder. If Qi Gong and Ouyang Zhongshi are not so-called mentors, who will put money on their heads for their works? I have commented on their calligraphy in my previous works. Qigong's calligraphy is more than neat, but its charm is lost, let alone expressive. This may be the reason why contemporary calligraphy circles don't understand the "six methods" of calligraphy and painting. Ouyang Zhongshi is just a layman with a defeated blacksmith character, which shows the extreme decline of China's calligraphy. What is particularly funny is that Zhang Hai's joining the China Book Association is an idiotic act that ravages the world's culture. With his firewood, I'm afraid the archives of China civilization will be destroyed. In my opinion, it is shameful to make a living in bureaucratic organizations such as the Academy of Fine Arts and the Book Association. Artists should lead an honest and clean life. China's calligraphy has existed in name only since the late Qing Dynasty. Contemporary calligraphers are blind and ignorant. The excessive pursuit of stones is the fundamental reason for the decline of China's calligraphy. In fact, the stone pen is the signboard of China literati painting, and it is also the cause and effect that China's freehand flower-and-bird painting reached its historical peak in the late Qing Dynasty, which pushed the stone pen to a height and made calligraphers worship. The reason why calligraphy is lower than painting is that calligraphers compromised the authenticity of freehand brushwork after the formation of literati painting. Calligraphers excessively pursue vigorous pen and ink, demanding vivid charm, and losing grace. Among them, Xu Wei, Wang Duo and other sages in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties are typical representatives of this kind. Strictly speaking, Wang Duo is the last calligrapher in the history of calligraphy in China. The civilized drama of China's calligraphy history finally reached the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, Dong Qichang is a master who combines calligraphy and painting and interprets the "six methods" of calligraphy and painting, surpassing his predecessors and never coming back. Therefore, I say that contemporary calligraphers who can't read Dong Qichang are all amateurs. Painting is divided into north and south, and calligraphy is no exception. The ancient style was Northern Sect, and the present style is Southern Sect. The ancient wind is vigorous and powerful, and today's show is vivid and vivid. This is very similar to Chinese painting. However, calligraphy theory, a modern calligrapher, is not as good as his painting theory, and his paintings are as bad as his own. The North and South factions repel each other and belittle each other. In the end, calligraphy fell to the North School and belittled the South School. This is like Kang Youwei's criticism of the charm of Zhao Mengfu and Dong Qichang. As a matter of fact, painting shows that Wen Zhiming, Tang Yin and Shanghai School have merged from north to south in the late Qing Dynasty, but calligraphy is still stubborn. From modern times to the present, the mainstream of calligraphy is still writing about the north, belittling the south and being self-righteous. It is difficult to write about the north and the south, such as Zhao, Wu Changshuo, Kang Youwei, Qi Baishi and Yu Youren. People who write about the south are not good at the north, but Shen and others. The reason is that the ancient people are vigorous and powerful, and the modern people are beautiful and vivid, which is the key to the "six methods" of calligraphy and painting. So if a calligrapher doesn't know the north and the south, his works are not things. Today's various schools, such as Shutong, Qigong, Ouyang Zhongshi and Liu Bingsen, are typical. China Calligraphy Association is the chief culprit that stifles the extinction of China's calligraphy. The significance of the book association is that it helps others and retains the remnants of education. It is like a "cult", which absorbs members, brainwashes and imprisons calligraphers' rationality, making their creative activities look like broadcast gymnastics. The present book association is Zhang Hai's book association, and its members just act as "pagans" who pitifully worship them. They are arrogant and serious. It is more appropriate to describe China Book Association as a "cult". Those so-called "honorary chairmen", consultants, "chairmen", directors, etc. Are frustrated upstarts in officialdom. They won't write a "eight" by hand, hold the shelf of literati and become intellectuals by writing "big-character posters". This is a bit like a deer to a horse. Count the "Chairman" that China Book Association can write from the beginning to the present. How many directors are there? So, how many people didn't get rich overnight? Therefore, the Calligraphy Association has greatly helped the calligraphy community in China. He is not only a bureaucratic hierarchical organization, but also an evil organization that bends the right path. He has neither real talent nor real character to teach people to believe in the truth. A group of amateurs who just want to expand their pockets advocate some pseudo-academics. If they don't quit, why is it necessary to exist?

The development of China's calligraphy to such an evil degree is related to the system and people's ignorance. At present, the vision of calligraphers or painters is very narrow. They don't look at historical sites and are not good at calligraphy and painting theory. They blindly copy copies, which is the evil result of totem worship (some scholars call contemporary "graphic age"). Adding tap water to a pavilion turned China's calligraphy circle into a swamp in Wang Yang. Extend reading and re-examine modern calligraphy —— People's understanding of the contention of modern calligraphy history is vague. Authentic calligraphy methods should appear in the Jin, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties, and the Ming Dynasty was the historical period when China's calligraphy entered a metamorphosis. From the Qing Dynasty, the history of calligraphy in China began to decline, so that it completely dried up in the Republic of China. Some people always think that epigraphy is authentic calligraphy. In fact, China's calligraphy began to deviate, which must be blamed. The reason why I don't think highly of Kang Youwei is that he pursues stone too much and denies pasting some, which makes China's traditional calligraphy lose its spirit. People blindly pursue the knife method, looking for brushwork in the knife method, and subtly let calligraphers embark on the road of artisans. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, people paid attention to epigraphy, which came from the archaeological actions of a large number of artists to make up for their own cultural defects, and was also a means for some influential literati to carry out new ideas. Among them, the gifted scholars represented by Deng, He and Zhao are the main figures to promote the development of epigraphy, and Wu Changshuo and Kang Youwei are typical representatives to set off the peak of epigraphy calligraphy. Until the Qing Dynasty, Deng, He and Zhao were still admired by the calligraphy circle. Although Deng and Zhao's calligraphy is stony, it is not spiritual enough. Only his calligraphy is full of charm. Relatively speaking, He's calligraphy is brilliant, but his skills are slightly inferior to those of Deng and Zhao. On the whole, Zhao is superior in overall cultivation. Zhao's strength in printing and painting was outstanding in Qing Dynasty. Wu Changshuo's calligraphy is full of stones and lacks talent, especially his running script, which can completely expose his neglect of pasting. However, he showed his strength with seal script and seal cutting, but he was not crowned king in calligraphy, nor was he as firm as Zhao in calligraphy. This is mainly because Zhao is a master of inscriptions. Kang Youwei's calligraphy is more or less tragic. He advocated epigraphy and opposed the calligraphy represented by Dong Qichang and others, but his calligraphy still drowned epigraphy. To be sure, his talent has been perfectly reflected in his works, which may be the main advantage that Kang Youwei can win everyone's appreciation. Today, people say that calligraphy must be based on Shi Guwen. In fact, this concept is mainly influenced by Wu Changshuo. In the late Qing Dynasty, artists studied the value of Shi Guwen mainly for seal cutting, not calligraphy. He is a unique art, which enriches the content of Chinese painting. But also enrich China's calligraphy. Why do I say that? Stone painting is the innovation of Song Yuanming's painting, and it is a great change of artists' unchangeable traditional art at that time. The ancients only paid attention to the unity of poetry, calligraphy and painting, and did not pay attention to "printing". In addition, literati paintings with landscapes as the theme in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, as well as figures in the Qing Dynasty, still follow the example of the "Four Kings" and continue to follow the rules. At this time, Chinese painting is almost completely stylized in form and subject matter, and it will be decadent without injecting new blood. Stone painting is the main reason for the rise of stone calligraphy, and Huang is the one who deeply agrees with it. Unfortunately, since then, the fate of China's calligraphy has been dominated by painters. Since then, calligraphers in China began to disappear. There is a simple reason. China's calligraphy also began to follow the pace of painting, scrambling to take refuge in stones and painting "shape" with great concentration. In fact, China's modern calligraphy is a kind of formal art, and he lacks vitality and spirit. In essence, epigraphy calligraphy is an art lacking spirituality, and the knife method is dull. Although some people learn the interest of Chinese painting, such as using ink and composition, it seems that the picture is novel as a whole, but it can't hide the ingenuity. The most typical calligraphers in modern times are Yu Youren, Lin Sanzhi and Shu Tong. Yu Youren's calligraphy is full of stone and stone flavor, with rich interest in pen and ink and elegant style. At the same time, it also absorbed the style of Zhao Mengfu in Yuan Dynasty, and realized the unity of inscriptions to a certain extent. I think Yu Youren's thinking about calligraphy theory is clear, which can be reflected from his choice to learn from Zhao Mengfu. The strokes of Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy seem simple, but they are rich in content. It is a perfect history of calligraphy, which combines all kinds of classic inscriptions. Many artists in modern times, including Dong Qichang and Fu Shan. As a typical example, Kang Youwei strongly denies the charm of Zhao Mengfu, and even thinks that Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy is just a simple method, and practice makes perfect. Right and wrong, as outsiders, Dong Qichang, Fu Shan, Kang Youwei and others have made artistic achievements in subversive patterns, but they are still not as good as Zhao Mengfu in real calligraphy skills. Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy is superior to the inheritance and interpretation of classics; Dong Qichang's calligraphy is better than vividness. His line drawing is like a dragon snake, and he can catch up with the ancients with ink, which can be compared with his predecessors. Compared with Fu Shan, he is more impetuous. First of all, he lags far behind Wang Duo in cursive and running script. His cursive script is fluent, with many failures and insufficient vitality. Therefore, it is wise for Yu Youren to learn from Zhao Mengfu. It's just that his own calligraphy pays too much attention to epigraphy, stylized pen and ink, and lacks romance; Lin Sanzhi's calligraphy is a formal art, with many painting elements and skillful use of ink, but the cursive script is too sloppy, not paying attention to regular script and not rigorous; Shu Tong's calligraphy is from the two ends of the law, from the epigraphy in Qing Dynasty, and what is typical? Although his calligraphy is childish and solemn, it is hard to hide his lack of talent and strong craftsmanship, which is the main disease of calligraphy since the Republic of China. Perhaps, at this time, some people will use Shen's calligraphy as a rebuttal. In fact, Shen's calligraphy lacks self-confidence, which seems to be imitating the Jin and Tang Dynasties, but it is too artificial. Therefore, the evaluation given by some scholars about catching up with the ancients is just a compliment. Recently, in some media, some people began to talk about Ma Yifu's calligraphy. Generally speaking, I still have a positive attitude towards his calligraphy, but I think his calligraphy is just a civilian character, extremely dull, without good copying from predecessors, and it is too craftsman to write, which looks like a scholar's character. Not enough to be included in the authentic ranks. Only Master Hongyi's calligraphy can be unique. Set an example for modern times. However, his calligraphy is too spotless, elegant and secular, which can be described as a disconnect between elegance and vulgarity.

In order to clarify my views on the history of modern calligraphy today, let me first talk about my personal views on learning calligraphy. 1. Wang Xizhi's calligraphy is the soul of calligraphy. Those who have not done so should not waste their efforts. There is one drawback to wasting time. People are always used to clinging to Wang Xizhi's Preface to the Lanting Pavilion. Even the three-year-old children are getting started, gesticulating at the preface to Lanting. In fact, this is a tragedy of chasing the moon. Calligraphy in Jin and Tang Dynasties is a very big subject, and calligraphers in past dynasties mostly studied it attentively in their later years. Among them, Zhao Mengfu and Dong Qichang are typical calligraphers. Nowadays, people think that calligraphy is impossible without learning from Wang Xizhi, but they don't know that climbing the Jin and Tang Dynasties is just blind and arrogant, and they don't have certain cultural accomplishment and knowledge. Calligraphy in Jin and Tang Dynasties is the peak of China's calligraphy, and learners must start from the lowest level to achieve it. We might as well see, how many scholars have studied Wang Xizhi's true classics in contemporary times? People immersed in the Preface to Lanting still accomplish nothing from black hair to white hair, full of impetuousness. Modern Mr. Shen was a great loss calligrapher in Jin and Tang Dynasties. Although his calligraphy has the flavor of "Preface to Lanting", it has not yet reached the level in form and spirit. Anyone who has an in-depth study of calligraphy will find that his calligraphy is too pretentious, too formal and lacks vitality and potential. Then, some people will ask, how can you learn the truth without learning the Jin and Tang Dynasties? Yes, this process is noble and difficult. My point of view is that academics should start from the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and only by establishing a foundation can we learn from thousands of families. Relatively speaking, the calligraphy of Song and Yuan Dynasties is not as rigorous as that of Jin and Tang Dynasties in terms of statutes and pen and ink, and it is more interesting. As long as learners can study hard, they can gain something. However, the calligraphy of Song people is too exaggerated, and there is no certain basic person's design, so it is easy to get possessed and ruin his life. A large number of contemporary calligraphers were destroyed by Mi Fei and Huang Tingjian because of their shallowness. If you can't overcome these difficulties, I suggest you learn something from Zhao Mengfu. At least he won't make you feel out of control. It will promote you to learn from Wang Xizhi. What I said is not suitable for every calligrapher, but learners must be clear-headed and have a certain understanding of China's calligraphy inheritance. For example, if you can't learn from Mi Fei, you can take a step back and learn from Dong Qichang or Wang Duo, both of whom have a lot of Mi Fei's calligraphy spirit; Can't learn from Huang Tingjian. You can study China and Wen Zhiming backwards. Shen Zhou is a calligrapher who has studied Huang Tingjian all his life. The same is true of learning from Wang Xizhi. You can learn from Zhiyong, Sun and Li Yi, but it is a pity to learn from Zhao Mengfu, Xian Yushu and Wang Chong. The fact is, it is also twice the result with half the effort to retreat. On the contrary, nothing has been achieved. China's calligraphy comes down in one continuous line, with Wang Xizhi as the root, and all other ancient calligraphy branches. All the classic calligraphy recognized in Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties can learn from the real calligraphy methods. Historically, Shen Zhou devoted his life to the study of Huang Tingjian and eventually became a great player. Therefore, it is unnecessary for people to pursue the Jin and Tang Dynasties unrealistically.

Dong Qichang said that the running script should learn the Preface to Lanting, and the cursive script should learn Article 17. This theory is aimed at calligraphers of Dong Qichang's level. Objectively speaking, authentic calligraphy can't reach a high level without studying Preface to Lanting Collection and Seventeen Articles. Unfortunately, modern people's cultural literacy does not have this theory, so we can only regard it as theory and dogma. Realistic, or the benefits of studying in Sun for the time being. However, calligraphy must lay a good foundation for regular script, whether it is running script or cursive script, it is a brush stroke. This determines that it is unrealistic for modern people to learn from Wang Xizhi directly. Second, calligraphy in the Song Dynasty is the spirit, and scholars must attack one of the calligraphers in the Song Dynasty, represented by Mi Fei, Huang Tingjian, Su Dongpo, Cai Xiang and Cai Jing, especially Mi Fei, Huang Tingjian and Su Dongpo. Their similarity lies in Tang Jie's profound knowledge and unique personal style, which is unique in the history of calligraphy in China. At the end of the Song Dynasty, Zhu was the representative. However, Evonne's calligraphy achievement is the most outstanding. His regular script is the best model for calligraphers because of its obvious pen movements, vertical and horizontal coordination, exaggerated collection and easy reference. The cursive script draws lessons from Zhang Xu and Huai Su, and its calligraphy style is not as good as that of snake. He is the pinnacle of China's calligraphy history, and his personal achievements are indeed pioneering. Zhao Gou's calligraphy is quite satisfactory, and he adopts the method of "two kings". Zhao Mengfu, a calligrapher in Yuan Dynasty, worshiped his calligraphy and learned from it. As for Zhu, although his calligraphy is outstanding, it is based on Mi Fei's method and has the charm of Korean remonstration, but compared with the former, it is greatly inferior. Looking at the book style of the Song Dynasty, it has a strong sense of the times, with bold and unrestrained pen and ink. In the history of China's calligraphy, rubbings have formed a high degree of unity. So I said, if you don't learn from the Song people, you don't know the reason why the stickers are exquisite, the monuments are thick and the inscriptions are born. Zhao, a calligrapher in the Qing Dynasty, benefited from the Song Dynasty. Despite Kang Youwei's strong denial, Zhao's calligraphy still has the charm of the Song Dynasty. Only in this way can we avoid the craftsman spirit of stone.

In modern times, few people adopted the best method of Song people. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Dong Qichang, Wang Duo and others have all taken the essence of Mi Fei in history. Shen Zhou and Wen Zhiming are best at Huang Tingjian's method, and Zhu Zhishan is best at cursive writing. Comparing Shen Zhou and Wen Zhiming, Shen Zhou's book is more authentic, while Wen Zhiming's book is more comprehensive. Now many calligraphers are obsessed with the study of Mi Fei, Huang Tingjian and Su Dongpo. It's a pity that they lack literary accomplishment and regular script foundation of calligraphy excessively, and they are just doing their own hardships from beginning to end. The bold and unconstrained freehand brushwork of Song people's calligraphy is a big question, which is based on the law of Jin and Tang Dynasties. If you don't have a systematic knowledge and understanding of calligraphy, it's hard to learn real classics, or even get started. For example, according to the laws of Jin and Tang dynasties, the calligraphy of Song people has no theoretical basis. For example, Huang Tingjian uses the continuous ups and downs of his strokes and the extremely uneven lines that look like rough hemp to compare the eight methods of the word "forever", which is "firewood". I once hit back at a scholar who called for learning calligraphy in Jin and Tang Dynasties. Calligraphy theory in Jin and Tang Dynasties was only a macro policy or macro technique of calligraphy, not a unified written law. According to the Eight Methods of "Use" in Jin and Tang Dynasties, the history of China's calligraphy belongs to only a few calligraphers in Jin and Tang Dynasties. The fact is that people nowadays are too superficial, uneducated and ignorant. If Huang Tingjian's regular script is associated with the cursive script of Zhang Xu or Huai Su, it may be more vivid. This is Huang Tingjian's firmness in the history of calligraphy. I have always believed that without learning from Mi Fei and Huang Tingjian, there is no way to control statutes. Studying Mi Fei and Huang Tingjian's calligraphy is a blind spot to test a calligrapher's comprehensive accomplishment. People with profound cultivation can base themselves on calligraphy, and people possessed by calligraphy are not suitable for calligraphy art.

Some old calligraphers dare not learn Evonne's regular script from the younger generation. In my opinion, Evonne's cursive script is worth learning. His regular script is too technical, there is no wonderful print, it is easy to learn and rigid, which is not conducive to imitation. You can choose Mi Fei, Huang Tingjian and Su Dongpo to study Song Shu, or you can also study Zhao Gou calligraphy. Third, calligraphy in the Yuan Dynasty can attack the ancient method with stones from other mountains. The main calligraphers in Yuan Dynasty were Zhao Mengfu, Xian Yushu, Kang, Deng and Yang Weizhen. Objectively speaking, in calligraphy cultivation, Zhao Mengfu is the highest, fresh is the second, and everything else is mediocre. The calligraphy art of this era is dominated by Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy style, and it takes the road of Jin and Tang Dynasties. However, Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy did not completely imitate Jin and Tang Dynasties. People always think that Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy has no style, which is a wrong understanding. This understanding mainly comes from people's excessive contact with a large number of temporary works of Zhao Mengfu, while ignoring his own truth. In the history of calligraphers, Zhao Mengfu is really the best in the world. Although Dong Qichang disagreed with this, he did not surpass it after all. Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy style was formed in his later years, and almost all his early calligraphy has gone through the process of learning from the scriptures. He is excellent in all aspects of the Royal Cao Li SEAL. So the history of calligraphy in Yuan Dynasty is almost Zhao Mengfu's. He innovated the calligraphy of the Yuan Dynasty in restoring ancient ways. Most scholars have always thought that Zhao Mengfu abandoned Song Shu, but it is not. His works have absorbed many meanings of Mi Fei and Huang Tingjian, but nowadays people are too superficial about calligraphy to find this. But compared with Xian Yushu, Kang, Deng and Yang Weizhen, Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy is relatively pure. In the sense of retro, he took the method of Jin and Tang Dynasties. Xian Yushu, Kang, Deng and Yang Weizhen. Borrowed the laws of Jin and Tang Dynasties on the basis of Song Dynasty. In my opinion, the most outstanding one is Xian Yushu. He learned from the ancient method, was smart and natural, absorbed the spirit of "two kings", reduced the charm of Jin and Tang dynasties, increased the arrogance of Song people and created a generation of calligraphy style. Can be compared with Zhao Mengfu. This is a fact. Zhao Mengfu's comprehensive quality is higher than Xian Yushu's. For example, he has a great influence on seal script and calligraphy, but his calligraphy skill is perfect, but his calligraphy style lacks individuality. His cursive script, in particular, is fresh and vivid rather than vivid. Therefore, the study of cursive script can prove that people say that Xian Yushu's achievements in calligraphy surpass Zhao Mengfu's. However, Zhao Mengfu still has an advantage in regular script, running script, seal script, official script and painting. The achievements of Kang, Deng and Yang Weizhen were drowned in the works of Zhao Mengfu and Xian Yuzhu. As far as calligraphy style is concerned, they draw lessons from ancient methods, close to simplicity, and inherit more brushwork from Song people, but they still adopt the method of Jin and Tang dynasties, but unfortunately their performance is mediocre.

Therefore, calligraphy in Yuan Dynasty is a classic history and a microcosm of calligraphy in Jin and Tang Dynasties. Those who can't get the law of Jin and Tang Dynasties can go back to the Yuan Dynasty. Achieve the effect of retreating for progress and attacking for defense. My view is that the study of Yuan Dynasty should be based on Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy, and the pivot and pivot are fresh, which can be used for reference by others. Mainly because Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy style is elegant and his pen is authentic, and his calligraphy is really free from vulgarity. Calligraphy works by Xian Yushu, Kang, Deng and Yang Weizhen. Drawing lessons from ancient methods, pen and ink are full of interest and difficult to grasp. Fourthly, calligraphy in Ming Dynasty is full of interest, and we can learn from typical examples. The Ming Dynasty is an era of intense passion for calligraphy, and calligraphers' understanding of pen and ink is a historical height. Although calligraphy in Ming Dynasty is not as good as that in Song Dynasty and Jin and Tang Dynasty, it is better than pen and ink. Among them, Dong Qichang, Wang Duo and Zhu Zhishan are the most outstanding in this respect. Calligraphy in Ming Dynasty was capped by Dong Qichang in skill and Wang Duo in taste. However, Zhu Zhishan, Wen Zhiming, Wang Chong, Shen Zhou, Fu Shan and others are also outstanding. Relatively speaking, Wen Zhiming and Chong Wang have their own swing and Zhu Zhishan's attack style. Huang Tingjian's imitation of Shen Zhou is decadent, and Fu Shan's pen and ink are enchanting, so it is hard to hide his impetuousness. Therefore, the real calligraphers in Ming Dynasty were Dong Qichang, Wang Duo, Wen Zhiming and Wang Chong. It is actually an unreasonable idea that Zhu Zhishan was used to label the book history of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Zhishan's method of attacking Song people is too obvious. Although it has its own characteristics, it is difficult to copy. His cursive script is imitation of Huang Tingjian, lacking charm and interest. However, there is no doubt that Zhu Zhishan's achievements in regular script are definitely the first. Some publications have always said that there is Dong Qichang in the south and Wang Duo in the north. So, who is the king in the peak matchup? In my opinion, the comprehensive strength belongs to Dong Qichang, and Dong Qichang has surpassed Wang Duo in terms of attacking nature and pen and ink. Wang Duo's calligraphy can be as famous as Zhao Mengfu's in style, but it is a popular collection in essence. Compared with Dong Qichang's elegance, it's much meaner. For example, Wang Duo's brushwork did not get rid of the shackles of the "two kings" and did not fully integrate the Jin, Tang and Song laws, which is obvious; The pursuit of pen and ink form and modeling seems profound and interesting, but it is only superficial and not immersed in the spirit of calligraphy. However, Dong Qichang's calligraphy is archaic, exquisite and seemingly weak, but it makes people lament. There is a question from China Religious University. His understanding of pen and ink is particularly profound, and he brought pen and ink into life in the word itself. In particular, his calligraphy lines are dry and round, which is the second best in Huai Su. So in my opinion, Dong Qichang's calligraphy spirit is the first, followed by style. However, Wang Duo's calligraphy style is superior and his spirit is poor.

There is also a particularly important figure in the history of calligraphy in the Ming Dynasty, Tang Yin. In fact, Tang Yin, Wen Zhiming and Shen Zhou are very accomplished in painting, but relatively speaking, they are inferior in calligraphy. It stands to reason that Tang Yin's fallen petal poems are not as authoritative as people say. His and Wen Zhiming's calligraphy are very similar in form. The reason why I have never liked Tang Yin's calligraphy is that it is beautiful in form and distracted. As for Wen Zhiming's calligraphy, it is full of spirit, but the form is monotonous. Therefore, the calligraphy of calligraphers in Ming Dynasty belongs to Dong Qichang and Wang Duo. As for Wang Chong listed by me, although he studied in the Jin and Tang Dynasties, as I listed in the Yuan Dynasty, his center was fresh and brilliant, but he was not as good as others. In the face of powerful Dong Qichang and Wang Duo, even the authentic Jin and Tang Dynasties had to give up their seats.

Some people say that the Ming Dynasty is a retrogressive history of calligraphy. I said that the passion of calligraphy creation in Ming Dynasty may be a peak in history. It doesn't matter that we can't compare calligraphers of every era in the past. Because calligraphy is an art with rich inheritance. The success of Jin and Tang dynasties, the charm of Song people, the learning of Yuan people and the interest of Ming people are the characteristics and strengths of an era. So it is absurd to compare Wang Xizhi, Mi Fei and Dong Qichang. Fifth, blind study of epigraphy is more important than epigraphy, and culture is more important than contemporary crafts, which is one of the main reasons that ruined the future of China's calligraphy. In fact, the worship of paste learning is an important example of China calligraphers' compromise with painters. I always thought that inscriptions originated from paste science. The inscription is a craft, a craftsman's work, and learning is the spirit, which is the author's original intention. Some people think that China's calligraphy school belongs to Oracle Bone Inscriptions, and it is impossible to understand calligraphy without studying Oracle Bone Inscriptions. Some people even spend a lot of time studying some primitive graphic symbols. They believe that the school of calligraphy originated from primitive society. In fact, they are making a one-way street to ignorance. The concept of calligraphy was defined in Oracle Bone Inscriptions. It stands to reason that authentic calligraphy can abandon Oracle Bone Inscriptions. The authenticity of calligraphy comes from seal script and running script, and from the Jin and Tang Dynasties when regular script, running script and cursive script were mature. Therefore, excessive return to the original is a process of pursuing ignorance. Today, a famous craftsman spent most of his life wandering around the world, collecting some original graphic symbols and publishing them in a book, which is euphemistically called "heavenly book". It is really humorous. As we all know, the object of gobbledygook belongs to ignorance.

From my own point of view, the history of China's calligraphy is a process of benign development from the late Han Dynasty, Wei, Jin and Tang Dynasties to the Ming Dynasty, and his style of the times has always existed. It's just that people always think that China's calligraphy is an art that perishes in inheritance, which is ignorant. The real decline of calligraphy began after Kangxi, especially in the middle and late Qing Dynasty. On the one hand, people's misjudgment of Zhao Mengfu and Dong Qichang and blind affirmation of Wang Duo and Fu Shan's brush and ink forms have made people's ideological understanding of calligraphy begin to be limited to form; Secondly, the painter's popularity has far overshadowed that of the calligrapher, so the main corner of calligraphy is in the hands of the painter. Finally, the popularization of new ideological trend culture and the simplification of characters are one of the main reasons why China's calligraphy is on the verge of decline. Calligraphy in the late Qing Dynasty is a history of struggle in decline. The calligraphy in the Republic of China was in the afterglow of the late Qing Dynasty when it degenerated in danger, while the contemporary calligraphy was in the period of black humor when it died. I will generally list some typical calligraphers since the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China for your reference: Kang Youwei has excellent calligraphy and poor theory. People's understanding of Kang Youwei's calligraphy has always been exaggerated. Kang Youwei is a calligrapher who writes books with rubbings. She worships tablets and despises them. The advantage of her calligraphy is that she writes with a tablet and seals with a pen. Carry forward the study of steles in the form of paste learning. In fact, her calligraphy is still based on the spirit of persistent learning. His in-depth study of stele is far less than that of Zhao, Wu Changshuo and others. From his works, it is not difficult to find that his calligraphy is lacking in spirit, distracted and messy. This is his achilles heel. He didn't handle the contradiction between stele study and post study well. Therefore, Kang Youwei's calligraphy is only a status quo in the history of books, but it can't leave a mark. His excessive respect for monuments is an extreme process. As I have said, the spirit of calligraphy belongs to paste science in the final analysis, and the stone tablet is just between ignorance and creation, and its color is dim in culture. Most of the inscriptions are only the work of craftsmen, which goes against the author's original intention or is distorted. This is not difficult for us to understand. Most ancient literati were virtuous and noble. They will not bow down to the work of carving wood and grinding stones, but will only spend some money to find someone to carve stones and erect monuments.

Contemporary calligraphers still attach importance to stones and copy Kang Youwei's prints all day. They think too much that epigraphy calligraphy is true. It is actually a process of ignorance and slavery. Ignorance is taken from Oracle Bone Inscriptions and original symbolic records, imitating totem worship. The root of slavery comes from handing over the dominance and management of calligraphy to painters and painters in the late Qing Dynasty, and unilaterally accepting Kang Youwei's book theory. If we say that China's calligraphy is a history with stone as its ancestor. Then, the reasonable answer should be that the painter dominates the fate of China's calligraphy. Since the Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties, the fate of calligraphy has always been in the hands of painters, and the simple calligrapher is only a superficial process of chasing the wind. The high unity of calligraphy and painting determines that it is reasonable for the painter to lead China's calligraphy, but it seems that the calligrapher lacks confidence in leading painting. It should be that China's calligraphy theory is higher than his painting, because calligraphy is an art with strict statutes and elegant spirit, and it is an extremely difficult process in the process of change. What has changed is crooked ways, and what remains unchanged is willing to be a running dog. Therefore, China's calligraphy is a great culture, and it is a death gate for people to climb to the top of art, and the ultimate goal is cultural height. Shallow cultivation, can only stop at the door, or stand still. In the Jin and Tang Dynasties, calligraphy was directly brought into the official career, which was an example that calligraphy was higher than painting. However, since the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, due to people's attention to painting, the influence of painters has overwhelmed that of calligraphers, so calligraphy has condescended to painting. Chen Chuanxi said that calligraphy has never been a major since ancient times. This is a discrimination against the art of calligraphy and an improvement of the art of painting. The fact is that people's understanding of calligraphy is superficial, and there is a lack of systematic in-depth and research on the history of calligraphy. If calligraphy cannot become a major, then painting will lose its foundation, let alone art.

For Kang Youwei's calligraphy, it is actually a process of winning back face for the calligrapher after compromising with the painter. In the end, it was just a lot of thunder and a little rain. From the beginning to the end, it still fell into the shadow of the painter in the late Qing Dynasty. His calligraphy art comforted history with failure and left the dying afterglow to future generations. Therefore, the history of China's calligraphy is an art that begins above painting and ends in a tragic situation submerged by painting. In this tragic situation, Kang Youwei should be attributed to a struggling person, and it is also the last ray of light in the history of China calligraphy. Yu Youren's calligraphy is a combination of piece and paste, with simple strokes. Yu Youren's calligraphy is still the face of the painter in the late Qing Dynasty, but it is a bit noble. His success lies in turning Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy into his own and melting it into his own stone. Some people say that Yu Youren is the last calligrapher in the history of China calligraphy, but I don't think so. Objectively speaking, calligraphy in the Republic of China is only the handwriting of a cultural person, not history.