Calligraphy Essentials

Author: Wang Xizhi (Eastern Jin Dynasty) - Original Family Collection
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-01
Features: The "Essentials of Cursive Script" collection, revered by predecessors as the "Correct Method of Cursive Script," has long been lost in stone carvings, with surviving rubbings in poor condition. This collection is divided into five sections: Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, and Trustworthiness, compiling a total of 3,860 cursive characters, with many accompanied by regular script and seal script. The Benevolence and Righteousness sections are arranged by radicals, while the Propriety section is organized by structural composition. The Wisdom section also follows structural composition, focusing on cursive characters with unconventional and perilous structures. The Trustworthiness section lists characters with similar forms that are easily confused.
The "Essentials" are considered by Li to be two principles for writing cursive script:
1. The essence of cursive script [writing with dots without reference to regular script, with turns and contractions not deviating from seal script and clerical script].
2. A masterful cursive script should balance firmness and suppleness, achieving a realm where suppleness is like flowing gold and firmness is as powerful as a dragon. Li also points out common pitfalls in writing cursive script: excessive elegance leads to fragility, excessive curiosity results in wildness, excessive fullness causes stagnation, excessive bonelessness leads to dryness, excessive firmness tends to unrestrainedness, and excessive suppleness risks losing control. He praises this collection for its round and polished beauty, with a balanced firmness and suppleness, making it an excellent guide for beginners.
The "Essentials" are preceded by a preface composed by He Zhizhang in the 11th year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty, under imperial decree. However, according to the "Biography of He Zhizhang" in the Old Book of the Tang Dynasty, He Zhizhang resigned from court and returned to his hometown in the 3rd year of the Tianbao era and passed away that same year. Due to insufficient records, Li refers to the "Essentials of Cursive Script" as the "Collected Works of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi by Renowned Artists of the Tianbao Era of the Tang Dynasty." This claim should not be taken at face value. Nevertheless, this collection remains an exceptional rarity and has been selected by works such as the "Great Dictionary of Cursive Script" and the "Practice Book of Cursive Script" as a benchmark for learning cursive script.