Zhao Mengfu's regular script collection of sentences and couplets from "Miao Yan Temple" and "Dan Ba Stele"

Author: Tian Dengyue, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322), styled Zi'ang, was also known as Songxue and Shuixing Gongdao Ren. He was from Wuxing (now Huzhou, Zhejiang). He was a descendant of the Song imperial family. During the reign of Emperor Shizu, he served as the Palace Scholar of the Collection of Virtue. During the reign of Emperor Renzong, he was appointed as the Chief Scholar of the Hanlin Academy, the Lord of Honor, and was known as "Zhao Chengzhi." He was posthumously honored as the Duke of Wei and posthumously titled Wenmin.
Zhao Mengfu possessed extensive knowledge, was skilled in music, excelled in literary composition, and was adept at identifying ancient artifacts. His achievements in painting and calligraphy were particularly outstanding, mastering all styles of calligraphy— Seal, Clerical, Regular, Running, and Cursive—as well as all subjects—landscape, flower-and-bird, figure, and animal. In the history of Chinese painting and calligraphy, he can be regarded as an art master who led the trend of his era.
The characteristics of Zhao's Regular Script can be summarized in three points: , Zhao Mengfu inherited traditional calligraphy while simplifying the complex and transforming the ancient into the modern. His brushwork was straightforward and free of pretense, with clear starting, middle, and ending strokes, making it easy for learners to follow. Second, his script appeared round and smooth but contained strength and substance. His strokes were lush and vigorous, and his structures were spacious and elegant, with tight interconnections between strokes. Externally, it seemed soft and smooth, but internally, it was strong and resilient. The form was graceful, while the bones were sturdy. Learners should not only study the form but also focus on the spirit. Third, the brush was round, but the structure was square, with a flowing yet orderly style. When writing Zhao's script, the strokes should be lush and round, but the layout and spacing must be square and meticulous, with horizontal and vertical strokes balanced, ascending and descending strokes well-proportioned, and emphasis well-placed. Only in this way can one master the characteristics of Zhao's script. Additionally, he occasionally incorporated the brushwork of Running Script into his Regular Script, making each character graceful and captivating, which is another feature of Zhao's script.