Introduction to the Danba Stele: Yuan Zhao Meng: Yuan Zhao Meng

Author: Wu Hongpeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), styled Zi'ang, known as Songxue Daoren. Born in Wuxing (now Huzhou, Zhejiang), he was a descendant of the Song imperial family. From a young age, he was exceptionally intelligent, able to memorize books after a single reading and compose essays with ease. He rose to the position of Hanlin Academician in the Yuan Dynasty and was enfeoffed as Duke of Wei, posthumously honored as Wenmin. He is widely known as "Zhao Songxue" or "Zhao Wenmin." His poetry is clear, profound, and extraordinary, while his calligraphy and painting are particularly renowned. He excelled in Seal script, Clerical script, Running script, and Cursive script, with deep expertise and widespread influence in Regular and Running scripts. The History of the Yuan Dynasty states, "Zhao Mengfu's Seal script, Clerical script, Running script, and Cursive script were all unparalleled in ancient and modern times, and he became famous throughout the world for his calligraphy." Liu Minzhong's Zhong'an Collection includes a poem titled Another Three Quatrain in Response to Zi'ang, which says: "Your new poetry comforts my lonely abode, / With bright eyes, I unroll the scroll once more. / Five hundred years have passed, and now I see, / Tang-style phrasing, Jin-style script." Fang Hui's Tongxu Collection features a poem titled Seeing Zhao Zi'ang Direct the Writing of the Golden Sutra, which calls him "the best calligrapher in the world today."
Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy was initially influenced by Emperor Gaozong of Song (who emphasized "wonderfully comprehending the eight methods and paying attention to antiquity"), then by Zhong Yao, Wang Xizhi, and Wang Xianzhi, and later by Li Beibei and Liu Gongquan. He adopted many ancient techniques in his brushwork and was particularly skilled in structuring characters. The Ming scholar Song Lian praised Zhao Mengfu for "diligently studying ancient calligraphic methods, having copied the Xizhi and Xianzhi scrolls hundreds of times." In Seal script, he learned from the Stone Drum Inscriptions and the Inscriptions for Conquering Chu; in Clerical script, he studied Liang Huo and Zhong Yao; and in Running and Cursive script, he learned from Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, demonstrating meticulous effort in inheriting tradition. Yu Jie remarked, "His Regular script deeply grasps the Luo Shen Fu while capturing its essence. His Running script achieves the Shengjiao Xu while entering its core. As for Cursive script, he thoroughly studies the Seventeen Treatises to master its form." He was a highly accomplished calligrapher who synthesized the calligraphy of the Jin and Tang dynasties. Later generations included him among the "Four Great Masters of Regular Script": Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan, Ou Yangxi, and Zhao Mengfu. It was said that he could write ten thousand Regular script characters daily, "with a brushwork as swift as wind and rain." His contemporaries held him in great esteem, and the Ming calligrapher and painter Dong Qichang believed his calligraphy was directly inspired by the Jin masters.
Zhao Mengfu played an indispensable and profound role in the history of Chinese calligraphy. His contributions extended beyond his works to his calligraphic theories, where he offered many insightful observations. He believed: "There are two aspects to learning calligraphy: brushwork and character form. If brushwork is not refined, even excellence is inferior; if character form is not skillful, even familiarity is lifeless. Only by understanding this can one truly speak of calligraphy." He also emphasized: "Learning calligraphy lies in savoring ancient masterpieces and fully grasping their brushwork, which is truly beneficial." In his approach to copying ancient scrolls, he pointed out a meaningful fact: "In the past, if one devotedly studied even a few lines of an ancient scroll, they could achieve fame. How much more so with the Lanting Preface, which was Wang Xizhi's masterpiece? If one practices it endlessly, how could they fail to surpass others?" These insights remain profoundly instructive to this day.