Illustrated History of Chinese Calligraphy

Author: Wo Xinghua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-07-01
Features: On the History of Chinese Calligraphy is strictly speaking a historical work.
- Evolution: A complete description of the development and evolution of calligraphic art.
- Causes: The social and personal factors behind calligraphic evolution.
- Judgment: The impact, value, and significance of calligraphic transformations.
Chinese calligraphy is an art of dragons soaring and phoenixes dancing. If you are merely sentimentally captivated by Wang Xizhi's flowing lines or the crisp elegance of slim gold script, this book on the origins and evolution of calligraphy will help you become rational and professional.
Excerpt: The Definition of Calligraphy
What is calligraphy? Throughout history, many interpretations have been offered, but none have reached a satisfying conclusion. Yang Xiong of the Han Dynasty said, "Writing is the heart's painting." Zhang Huaiquan of the Tang Dynasty in Six-Body Calligraphy Theory stated, "Calligraphy is a law of images." Hao Jing of the Yuan Dynasty wrote in On Calligraphy, "Calligraphy is the method of the heart." Liu Xizai of the Qing Dynasty in General Art Theory·Calligraphy said, "Calligraphy is like a person—like their learning, talent, and aspirations. In short, it is like the person." These definitions are too mystical and can be applied arbitrarily, making them unsuitable as concrete definitions.
In the past two decades, Chinese calligraphy has experienced an unprecedented boom in both creative practice and theoretical research, with its definition sparking heated debates as a fundamental theoretical issue. Some argue that calligraphy is particularly concerned with form and structure, calling it the "art of ()." Others view it as the "art of ()," emphasizing its linear characteristics. Some label it the "art of ()" because its expression is not concrete imagery. Still others define it as the "art of ()," as it conveys emotions and human perceptions of nature. Each person, based on their own perspective and argumentation, arrives at highly personalized conclusions, leading to widespread disagreement.
I believe that to provide a comprehensive and practical definition of calligraphy, we must avoid overemphasizing its characteristics and first examine its full scope. The essence of calligraphy encompasses three aspects:
1. Subject of Expression: Chinese characters. Like boats, carts, baskets, and bags, they are carriers whose strokes and structures can vary freely depending on the content they convey.
2. Content of Expression: The calligrapher's thoughts, emotions, and aesthetic tastes. These differ from person to person and era to era, and every nuance can be expressed through variations in strokes, structures, and overall composition.
3. The Act of Writing: Chinese characters are the carriers, while thoughts and emotions are the "goods." To connect the carrier with the goods and transfer the goods onto the carrier, there must be an intermediary—writing.
The Qing Dynasty calligrapher Zhou Xinglian noted, "Former generations called writing ' (), while later ones call it ' ().'" Writing has two meanings:
- Shuo Wen (Classic of Characters) defines it as " (placing things)."
- Yun Shu (Rhyme Book) defines it as " (transferring things)."
" (placing)" refers to the form of the object, while " (transferring)" refers to pouring one's heart into it. The two meanings are not contradictory, hence characters are the heart's painting. If one can only place the form but not transfer their heart, then both the meaning of " ()" and " ()" are lost."
Writing entails both "placing" the characters (form) and "transferring" emotions and imagery into their strokes, structures, and composition (heart). Without unifying both aspects, the meaning of " ()" and " ()" is lost, and thus calligraphy cannot exist. Writing is therefore an essential component of calligraphy's essence.
Chinese characters, emotional imagery, and writing together constitute the full essence of calligraphy. Understanding this, the definition of calligraphy becomes clear: Calligraphy is the art of expressing emotional imagery through the writing of Chinese characters.