Dong Qichang's Calligraphy of the Thousand Characters

Author: Dong Qichang (Ming Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Dong Qichang (1555–1636) was a Ming Dynasty calligrapher. His courtesy name was Xuanzai, and his sobriquets included Sibai and Xiangguang Jushi. He was from Huating. He passed the imperial examination in the 17th year of the Wanli reign and once served as the chief education official in Hubei Province. He was later promoted to the position of Minister of Rites in Nanjing. Upon his death, he was posthumously honored as Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent and posthumously titled Wenmin. Possessing extraordinary talent, he excelled in poetry, prose, calligraphy, and painting. He was skilled in appraising artworks and painted landscapes with a clear and refined style. He categorized landscape painting into the Northern and Southern Schools, revering the Southern School as the legitimate lineage of literati painting. His artistic style and theories had a profound influence on later generations. His calligraphy also formed a unique style. Initially, he studied the works of Yan and Yu, later abandoning Tang Dynasty calligraphy to pursue the styles of the Wei and Jin periods, eventually learning from Zhong and Wang. He claimed to have found elegance in simplicity. During the Kangxi and Qianlong reigns of the Qing Dynasty, his works were highly revered, influencing calligraphers for generations. This piece, "Ci of Red Cliff," is a handscroll in paper form, written in running script. It consists of 22 lines, with varying numbers of characters per line, totaling 246 characters. The height of the scroll is 40 cm. The entire work exudes a natural, harmonious, and elegant atmosphere. The line spacing is slightly wide but does not feel spacious, as the lines and characters complement each other, creating a sense of unity despite the dispersion. It is clearly inspired by the works of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi. Observing its brushwork, the pressure and release, the starting and ending points, as well as the forms of the strokes, are all clear, neat, and decisive. Calligraphy learners can learn a great deal from this work.