Chinese Stele and Inscription Classics -- Two Types of Running Script by Dong Qichang

Author: Shanghai Fine Arts Publishing House
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-06-01
Features: Dong Qichang (1555–1636), styled Xuancai, was known as Sibai and Xiangguang Jushi. He was a native of Huating (Songjiang, Shanghai). He passed the imperial examination in the 17th year of the Wanli reign and served as the chief education official in Hubei, vice governor of Shandong, and eventually became the Minister of Rites in Nanjing. Due to political turmoil, he resigned and was posthumously honored as Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent and posthumously titled Wenmin. Dong Qichang's calligraphy was renowned for its clarity, subtlety, and elegant charm. He studied calligraphy by tracing back to the Wei and Jin dynasties from the Tang and Song periods, with a particular emphasis on the works of the "Two Wangs" (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi). This collection includes one piece of Dong's copied works and one of his original works, compiled into a single volume. It aims to provide a reference for studying and researching the formation and evolution of Dong Qichang's calligraphic style. In Dong's works, large-character pieces are relatively rare, and both of these pieces feature large characters, which undoubtedly help learners clearly observe the subtle and minute changes in Dong's brushwork, thereby deepening their understanding of his calligraphic style.
The copy of Yan Zhenqing's Cai Mingyuan Tie was written by Dong Qichang in July of the 2nd year of the Ming Wanli reign (1574). At the time, Dong Qichang was 19 years old and had been studying calligraphy for about two or three years (according to Dong Qichang's Brush and Ink Chamber Notes, he began studying calligraphy at the age of 17, initially learning from Yan Zhenqing's Dabot before later switching to Yu Shennan). This copied piece is a trace left behind from his early days of learning calligraphy. Reading this work, one can sense Dong Qichang's cleverness and ingenuity in his copying. Although it is an early work, the control of brush pressure, turns, and the grasp of structural regularity already show a certain level of understanding. Dong Qichang's copying was not a mechanical reproduction of the model but rather a pursuit of the spirit of the calligraphic style in line with his own personality. Perhaps this is the inspiration this work offers to later learners.