Chinese·

Author: Li Songchen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Cursive script, a fast and convenient style of calligraphy that emerged during a certain period of the development of Chinese calligraphy. It originated in the early Han Dynasty. At that time, cursive clerical script was prevalent, which later gradually evolved into "Zhangcao" (Regular Cursive). It is said that "Zhangcao" got its name from Emperor Zhang of the Han Dynasty ordering a minister, Du Duo, to write memorials in this script; others say "Zhangcao" was created by Emperor Zhang himself; still others claim it was named after the calligrapher Shi You of Emperor Yuan's time, who wrote the "Jijucao" in this script. In any case, "Zhangcao" was widely used during the Han Dynasty. By the late Han Dynasty, a great calligrapher named Zhang Zhi emerged, who shed the traces of clerical script retained in "Zhangcao." The brushwork between characters was often connected, and radicals were mutually borrowed, giving rise to "Jincao," commonly known as cursive script. In the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Xu and Huai Su wrote "Jincao" in a more unrestrained and expansive manner, with continuous and swirling brushwork, and dynamic changes in character forms, thus giving birth to "Kuangcao" (Wild Cursive). From this, it is clear that Zhang Zhi is the ancestor of "Jincao," while Zhang Xu and Huai Su are the ancestors of "Kuangcao."