Masters and Their Masterpieces in the Song and Ming Dynasties

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1) Su Shi(1037-1101) and His Model Calligraphy Entitled Poems Written on Cold Food Day in Huangzhou.

Su Shi’s hometown was Meizhou(modern day Sichuan province). His courtesy name(zi) was Zizhan, and alternative name (hao) was Dongpo. He learnt from masters of the Jin and Tang dynasties and achieved a great attainment in the art of calligraphy. He enjoyed reading and had high accomplishment in theory. He advocated that composing of poem need not be careful or neat, and writing of calligraphy need not seeking but natural and romantic of the two were the best. He pursued natural dispositions and enjoyed the same popularity with Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu and Cai Xiang, who are referred in unison by later generations as “four great calligraphers in the Song dynasty”. His extant masterpieces are Fu-Poem Entitled On Red Cliffs and Model Calligraphy Entitled Poems Written on Cold Food Day in Huangzhou.

Ranked as “number three running hand in the world”, Model Calligraphy Entitled Poems Written on Cold Food Day in Huangzhou was written casually, the characters were obliquely written, and the forms were randomly shaped. The size of them was appropriate and the characters were running freely and madly with relaxed manner, and characters were glowing with radiating vigor, showing the natural interest and charm. His calligraphy complied with rules but was written romantically and naturally without any restriction.

2) Mi Fu and His Model Calligraphy Entitled Writing on Spun Silk Produced in Sichuan

Mi Fu(1051-1107) courtesy name(zi) Yuanzhang, was a famous calligrapher and painter in the Northern Song dynasty. His ancestors were from Taiyuan, Shanxi and then migrated to Xiangyang in Hubei and finally settled down in Runzhou (modern day Zhenjiang in Jiangsu province). He was ranked Erudite of Painting and Calligraphy and later Second Class Secretary to the Ministry of Rites. He was called at the time “Mi Nangong”. He had wild disposition and was an addict for cleanness, so he was also called”crazy Mi”. He shared the fame of “four great calligraphers in the Songdynasty”with Su Shi, Huang Tingjian and Cai Xiang. His extant calligraphy works are Yanshan Inscriptions, Model Calligraphy Entitled Coral, Model Calligraphy Entitled Writings on Spun Silk Produced in Sichuan, Poems of Shaoxi and Elegy to Empress Dowager Xiang.

Mi Fu learnt from different calligraphy schools and paid much attention to tradition. He learnt everything he liked but was not tied by tradition. He said that “my calligraphy has absorbed the merits of many different schools and had its own achievements. But when people see my calligraphy they cannot recognize its oringin”.

Su Shi commented that “he is good at seal characters, official script, running hand and real script, cursive script. He writes confidently and firmly and should share his fame with Zhong You and Wang Xizhi”. The calligrapher Dong Qichang in the Ming dynasty ranked him as “number one calligrapher in the Song dynasty.

His most famous running hand calligraphy is Model Calligraphy Entitled Writing on Spun Silk Produced in Sichuan written on silk. The characters are full of changes with rhythm and rhymes. They are carefully written, and the space and the strokes are well distributed. The size and the straight and obliquity of the characters areappropriately mixed. The light and heavy ink for them is changeable and natural. The first few poems have eight to ten characters each line and the characters are stretched and extended. The space among the characters is well arranged. The last two poems have eleven to fourteen characters each line and are close to each other while different in size.A11 the characters are written with a new calligraphy style, natural and unrestrained, similar to the style of Li Yong (Alias Li Beihai) and free of his own style. The imposing manner of them is natural and restrained, with the air of satisfaction and freedom.

3) Zhao Mengfu(1254-1322)

Zhao Mengfu, courtesy name (zi) Zi’ ang, was a native of Huzhou (in modern day Zhejiang province). His alternative name (hao) was Songxue Daoren (Taoist Priest of Pine and Snow). He was a Hanlin academician and Grand Master for Glorious Happiness.

Later he was conferred Duke of Wei and his posthumous name was “Wenmin”. He was generally called Zhao Wenmin by later generations. He was good at seal character, large seal character, eight divided character, official script, real characters, cursive script and running hand. His calligraphy originated from those of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi’s and also from the calligraphers in the Tang and Song dynasties.

He formed his delicate and pretty calligraphic feature and advocated to restore the ancient calligraphy and tradition of the Jin and Tang dynasties and practiced what he preached. His calligraphy masterpieces are Tablet of the Imperial Master Danba, Qiu E’s Tablet, Memorial Poem to Goddess of Rive Luo and Classic of the Way and Virtue(written with small regular script). The forms of his calligraphy are squaresteady and simple, the vigor of them are inward and the way of using the ink-brush is very sophisticated. his calligraphy style is respectfully referred by later generations as “Zhao style”.

4) Dong Qichang (1555-1636)

Dong Qichang, courtesy name (zi) Xuanai, alternative name (hao) Sibai, as wel as Xiangguang, was a native of Huating (modern day Songjiang in Shanghai). His highest rank was Minister of Rites and Grand Preceptor of the Heir Apparent. His posthumous name was Wenmin. He was to be ranked the first in the imperial examinations, but for his handwriting was not as excellent as his article, he just won the second place. So he made great efforts to practice his handwriting. At firs he learned from Tablet of Multi-Treasure Pagoda by Yan Zhenqing, then changed to Yu Shinan. After that he thought that the calligraphy in the Tang dynasty was not as good as that in the Wei and Jin dynasties; so he decided to learn Classic of Yellow Court by Wang Xizhi and Model Calligraphy Entitled Xuanshi, Model CalligraphyEntitled Limingbiao, Model Calligraphy Entitled Huanshi and Model Calligraphy Entitled Bingshe by Zhong You. Because of his high intelligence and hardworking, he finally formed his unique feature of calligraphy which was delicate and pretty with ancient charm, leisure and light. Under his influence there appeared a school of calligraphy centered around Dong Qichang in Songjiang area-the calligraphic schoolof Songjiang. In the turn of the Ming and Qing dynasties the calligraphic school of Songjiang was very influential in the calligraphic circles.

In the long history of Chinese character writing we have got some very beautiful flowers and appreciated the masterpieces of calligraphic art, and tasted the unique charms of calligraphy as an art.