Wang Xizhi's Running Script 2, "Huairen Collection of Wang Xizhi's Holy Teaching Preface" Collection Couplet

Author: Sun Yunhong (Editor)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: July 1, 2005
Features: A practical and rapid calligraphy workbook, meticulously refined and organized based on the structural principles, writing methods, and practical requirements of Chinese characters. This workbook is designed as a scientific, simple, easy-to-learn, and highly practical tool. The practice grid used in this workbook is the "Hui Zi Si Jiao Duozhe Ge" (Square Grid with Four Corners Folded Inward). This design was developed by summarizing and analyzing existing grids such as the square grid, Tianzi grid, Jiugong grid, Milizi grid, and Hui Gong grid, while also referencing traditional Chinese methods for folding paper when writing couplets or horizontal scrolls. After rigorous research and practical application, it was introduced to the public. The "Hui Zi Si Jiao Duozhe Ge" is very convenient to make and use. Before writing, simply fold the paper into an outer square grid and an inner square grid, resembling the character "Hui." Then, fold the "Hui" diagonally, creating an "X" in the center. This practice grid combines the strengths of various writing grids while avoiding their weaknesses. It eliminates the need for a ruler, allows for adjustable size, facilitates stroke arrangement, and makes structuring characters and layouts easier. It enables learners to quickly grasp the structural principles and writing methods of Chinese characters, making it a highly practical approach to calligraphy. The content of this workbook is selected from the representative works of influential calligraphers throughout Chinese history, compiled into sentences and couplets based on practical requirements. Its main purposes are: to enhance learners' interest in copying classic calligraphy, guiding them to quickly master practical calligraphy skills; and to achieve twice the result with half the effort through a combination of learning and application. The Practical Calligraphy Rapid Learning Workbook integrates brushwork, structure, layout, and practicality, combining theoretical guidance with creative practice, serving as a shortcut for learners to enter the of calligraphy art.
Wang Xizhi (AD 303–361), styled Yishao, was originally from Langya and later settled in Shanyin. He was a renowned calligrapher in ancient China, revered as the "Sage of Calligraphy." At the age of 48, Wang Xizhi served as the Administrator of Kuaiji. On the third day of the third month of the ninth year of the Yonghe era (AD 353), he joined a gathering with Xie An, Sun Chuo, and 41 others at the Orchid Pavilion to write the "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection," a work celebrated as the "Greatest Running Script in the World." This preface not only boasts exquisite literary merit but also displays unparalleled calligraphic artistry, widely recognized by calligraphers for over a millennium. In essence, it represents the pinnacle of Wang Xizhi's calligraphic achievements. This is why the Orchid Pavilion gathering has been celebrated through the ages and remains legendary to this day.
Wang Xizhi's calligraphic accomplishments were outstanding. He not only mastered all ancient Chinese scripts but also created a new style that suited the times, establishing a complete stylistic system that had a profound influence on later generations. His running script blends various styles, drawing from the strengths of all. His brushwork employs "straight strokes for strength and oblique strokes for beauty," fluid yet not slack, rustic yet not sluggish. The strokes complement each other, conveying emotion, combining square and round, and balancing motion and stillness. The transitions in his writing resemble the movements of the Tai Chi, while the flow of his strokes is like that of dragons and snakes. The strokes are concise yet balanced in density, diverse yet harmonious. Every stroke is unique, yet they all contribute to a perfect unity.