History of Chinese Calligraphy: The Qing Dynasty Volume

Author: Liu Heng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-10-01
Features: Throughout the development of calligraphy in the Qing Dynasty, the general trend was the gradual decline of the "school of models" () and the rapid rise and eventual replacement of the "school of steles" (), achieving remarkable success. The rise of the school of steles broke the monopoly of the school of models that had existed since the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, surpassing previous generations in seal script, clerical script, and Northern Wei calligraphy, and creating a new style. Figures like the "Eight of Yangzhou," Liu Yong, Yi Bingshou, Deng Shiru, He Shaoji, Kang Youwei, and Zhao Ziqian shone like stars, becoming prominent calligraphers. Why did the school of models decline? Why did the school of steles rise? How did textual research, epigraphy, and the study of characters contribute to this? Read this book. The turning point in the shift from the gradual decline of the school of models and the rise of the school of steles occurred during the Daoguang and Xianfeng reigns. Before the Yongzheng reign, it was a continuation of the Ming school of models, and the calligraphic style largely did not exceed the scope of the Yuan and Ming dynasties. During the Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns, the school of models in the Qing Dynasty reached its highest level, and seal script and clerical script had also achieved significant results. From the Daoguang and Xianfeng reigns onward, the school of steles flourished. By the late Qing and early Republican era, the calligraphy scene had become dominated by the school of steles. The Qing Dynasty was an extremely rich and vibrant era for calligraphy, with the prevalence of textual research, epigraphy, and the study of characters providing a broad foundation for the formation of Qing calligraphic style. This book, with the theme of "the gradual decline of the school of models and the rapid rise of the school of steles," presents a grand historical narrative of the evolution of calligraphy and calligraphic studies throughout the Qing Dynasty.