Wang Duo's Cursive Calligraphy Scroll Classics. Eight Autumns Manuals

Author: Liu Canzhang, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: Wang Duo (1592–1652), styled Juesi, also styled Juezhi, styled Songqiao, Shiqiao, Ningqiao, and Xueshan. Born in Shuanghuaili, Mengjin, Henan in the 20th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. At the age of 14, he began studying; at 16, he entered the yanhui (local school for scholars); at 30, he passed the provincial examination; at the age of 31 in the second year of the Tianqi era, he passed the imperial examination and entered the Hanlin Academy as a Cishiji (a rank of scholar in the Hanlin Academy); in the 11th year of the Chongzhen era, he served as Vice Minister of Rites and concurrently as Vice Academician of the Hanlin Academy, as well as holding positions such as Lecturer at the Imperial Academy and Instructor at the Imperial Academy. When the Hongguang regime was established, he joined the Grand Secretariat as the second deputy premier. The following year, he defected to the Qing Dynasty. In the third year of the Shunzhi era, he retained his position as Vice Minister of Rites and concurrently as Minister of Rites, overseeing the position of Academician of the Hongwen Academy and serving as the deputy editor-in-chief of the Records of the Ming Dynasty. In the sixth year of the Shunzhi era, he was appointed as Vice Minister of Rites and concurrently as the deputy editor-in-chief of the Veritable Records of Emperor Taizong of the Ming Dynasty, and was promoted to Shao Bao later that year. In the ninth year of the Shunzhi era, he passed away in his hometown and was posthumously honored as Wen'an. Wang Duo excelled in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, particularly in calligraphy. He was proficient in all calligraphic styles, with his cursive script being the most outstanding. This series of works collects the essence of Wang Duo's cursive script, showcasing his calligraphic styles from different periods. Wang Duo's cursive script style combines the techniques of the "Two Wangs" (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi), incorporates the methods of Tang Dynasty (), and absorbs the points of Huang Tingjian and Mi Fu, establishing a unique style that elevates cursive script to a new height and has influenced the Chinese calligraphy scene for over four hundred years. Wang Duo's cursive script is grand and majestic, with a dynamic and vibrant rhythm that exudes a strong sense of impact and awe. His brushwork is extremely rich, primarily using the zhong duo (centered brush) technique, with eight directions of brushwork emerging. In circular movements, he focuses on returning the brush and making sharp turns, emphasizing subtlety while also enhancing the forceful and vigorous momentum.