Tang Yan Zhenqing, "Multi-Blessed Pagoda Stele"

Author: Li Zhenggeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: This tutorial focuses on techniques, covering the strokes, radicals, structure, and composition of clerical script. It emphasizes making basic techniques comprehensive, microscopic, specific, and highly operational. The selected examples are highly targeted, and the accompanying text is concise and to the point.
Clerical script is primarily a static script style, with its strokes, radicals, structure, etc., following certain norms and relatively fixed patterns. Therefore, many calligraphy enthusiasts regard it as the script for beginners, and many teachers also choose it as the primary script for teaching calligraphy. Many calligraphers throughout history have practiced clerical script, leaving behind numerous clerical script relics with great stylistic differences, providing ample choices for later learners. However, the famous clerical script works that have had a profound impact on calligraphy history remain excellent models for study. Based on this consideration, this tutorial "Clerical Script Practice by Famous Calligraphers Throughout History" selects eight works: the Northern Wei Dynasty's "Zhang Menglong Stele" and "Zhang He'nu Mausoleum Inscription," the Tang Dynasty's "Liquanming Stele" by Ouyang Xun, "Yanta Shengjiao Xu" by Chu Suiliang, "Dabao Ta Stele" and "Yanqinli Stele" by Yan Zhenqing, "Xuanmi Ta Stele" by Liu Gongquan, and the Yuan Dynasty's "Moyan Temple Record" by Zhao Yu. This tutorial focuses on techniques, covering the strokes, radicals, structure, and composition of clerical script. Its features are:
First, enhancing editorial content. From the development and argumentation of the topic, the outline writing, the selection of authors, the choice of calligraphy book versions, the design of the cover and layout, the editorial team has been fully involved and actively consulted experts' suggestions, striving to present high-quality content to readers.
Second, improving writing quality. This tutorial emphasizes making basic techniques comprehensive, microscopic, specific, and highly operational. The selected examples are highly targeted, and the accompanying explanations are concise and to the point.
The "Dabao Ta Stele" is an early representative work of Yan Zhenqing, serving as an excellent model for beginners in calligraphy. However, this stele does not fully embody Yan Zhenqing's broad and majestic style. The stele features strokes that are hidden and returned at every turn, with a balanced density and tightness in its structure, and a rigorous and solemn style. When practicing this stele, attention should be paid to the lifting and pressing, turning, and the inner tightness and outer looseness (as well as the upper tightness and lower looseness) of its structure.