Complete Collection of Chinese Calligraphy 66 Liu Yong

Author: Liu Zhengcheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Liu Yong (1719—1804), styled Chongru, known as Shijiong, was a native of Zhucheng, Shandong. He passed the imperial examination in the 16th year of the Qianlong reign (1751) and rose to the position of Dongge Daxueshi, posthumously honored as Wenqing. He excelled in small and medium regular scripts, drawing inspiration from Dong Qichang while also learning from Yan Zhenqing and Su Shi. After the age of 70, he devoted himself to the steles and inscriptions of the Northern Dynasties. His calligraphy is characterized by thick ink, robust appearance yet strong bones, with a unique style that earned him great respect and was hailed as the crown of calligraphers of his generation. Kang Youwei, in his Guaiyi Zhou Shuangji, also praised: "Shijiong, though influenced by Xiangguang, possesses great strength and depth of thought, with sinews trembling yet veins converging. Among modern cursive and running scripts that follow the path of richness and depth, none can surpass Shijiong's realm. Thus, I regard Shijiong as the culmination of seal script studies." His running scripts feature open and orderly composition, deep and heavy ink, with a technique of wrapping the brush tip while moving, concentrating force internally. The appearance appears soft and plump, conveying peace and sincerity, yet the bones remain firm and dense. At the same time, the thick ink tone maintains natural variations of dryness and moisture, with strokes varying in thickness, complementing each other, achieving a subtlety of grace within a sturdy style.
Preface: The calligraphy works collected in this book span from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the contemporary era, totaling over 100 volumes. The volumes are divided into two major categories: 1. Periodical Volumes; 2. Calligrapher Volumes. Each volume is organized into ten sections based on the era, with additional sections for Seal Engraving, Treatises, Appendices, and Supplements. Periodical Volumes include works such as oracle bone inscriptions, gold inscriptions, bamboo slips, silk documents, pottery and brick inscriptions, steles, epitaphs, carved stones, cliff carvings, sculptures, and Buddhist manuscripts from the Song dynasty and earlier, with unsigned works from the pre-Song era. These works are categorized and organized chronologically. Calligrapher Volumes are divided into three types: Class A volumes feature works by a single calligrapher; Class B volumes feature works by two to four calligraphers; Class C volumes feature works by multiple calligraphers from a specific period. The table of contents for each volume, excluding the preface and general index, follows the two categories of organization.
Periodical Volumes include: color illustrations of original artifacts or rubbings, general introductions and specialized essays, plate illustrations, plate annotations, chronology, diagrams of artifact and work distribution, main reference books and literature, plate index. Calligrapher Volumes include: calligrapher portraits (Class A volumes), color illustrations of original seals or selected works, biographical essays and specialized essays on the calligrapher, general introductions to calligraphy of the period (Class C volumes), plate illustrations, plate annotations, selected annotations of the calligrapher's theories, chronology of the calligrapher, diagrams of the calligrapher's travels, main reference books, plate index. In Class A calligrapher volumes, supplementary volumes feature relatives and disciples of the calligrapher to clarify mutual influences. The Appendices include: Chronology of Chinese Calligraphy (with name index and work index), Illustrated History of Calligraphy in Minority Scripts, Illustrated History of Overseas Calligraphy, Illustrated History of Four Treasures of the Study.
Supplementary Volumes contain several additional volumes that include important works not accommodated or overlooked during the compilation process, organized by category. The (diagrams) in each volume are based on the Historical Atlas of China edited by Tan Qixiang. The entire book is printed in traditional characters to avoid confusion between ancient and modern scripts.