Noble and High Kui Kai Style Calligraphy of "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng"

Author: Shanghai Fine Arts Publishing House
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Gao Kai (1769–1839) was a Qing Dynasty seal carver, styled Zigao, and known as Shuangquan. He was from Hangzhou, Zhejiang, and once served as a retainer for Ruan Yuan. Gao Kai followed the Zhe School in seal carving, demonstrating elegance and discipline. His calligraphy was exquisite and refined, showing considerable skill, and he was also adept at small regular script. He personally wrote and annotated the inscriptions and epigraphs of the Xue family's bronze drums and their textual research. Gao Kai's Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng incorporates the strengths of the great calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty, integrating and mastering them. Not only is his brushwork precise and meticulous, leaving no room for negligence, but it is also lively, elegant, and balanced between square and round, making it a rare and excellent model of regular script. In terms of character structure, it seems to draw inspiration from Zhao Mengfu, while its flowing style resembles Chu Suiliang, and the warm and gentle aura within comes from Yu Shinan. Of course, there is also a touch of charm. Regular script is prone to stiffness and rigidity; to infuse a sense of levity into the precise brushwork without compromising on diligence is no easy feat. Therefore, Gao Kai's regular script stands firm in this regard. However, he also has a significant weakness: his work lacks individuality, as both his brushwork and character structure adopt "public language" without symbolizing certain parts, making him inferior to his predecessors in this aspect.