Wang Duo's Cursive Script Scroll Masterpiece. Cursive Script Scroll for Zhang Lao Qinzong by Wang Duo

Author: Wang Duo
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; at 30, he passed the provincial examination; at the age of 31 in the third year of the Tianqi era, he passed the imperial examination and became a Shujishi in the Hanlin Academy. In the 11th year of the Chongzhen era, he served as Vice Minister of Rites and Academician of the Hanlin Academy, as well as a lecturer at the Imperial Academy and an instructor at the Imperial Academy. When the Hongguang regime was established, he entered the cabinet as the second deputy prime minister and was lowered to the Qing court the following year. In the third year of the Shunzhi era, he served as Vice Minister of Rites and concurrently as Vice Minister of Rites and President of the Hongwen Academy, serving as the deputy chief editor of the Records of the Ming Dynasty. In the sixth year of the Shunzhi era, he was appointed Vice Minister of Rites and deputy chief editor of the Veritable Records of Emperor Taizong of the Ming Dynasty, and was promoted to Shaobao in the same year. He passed away in his hometown in the ninth year of the Shunzhi era and was posthumously given the title 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 collection includes 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 calligraphers, and absorbs the points of Huang Tingjian and Mi Fu, creating 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 powerful and awe-inspiring force. His brushwork is exceptionally rich, primarily using the zhong duo (centered brush) technique, with eight directions of brushwork emerging. In circular movements, he specializes in returning the brush and making sharp turns, focusing on subtlety while also enhancing the strength and vitality of the strokes.