Ming Dong Qichang's Cursive Script Scroll of Remembering the Red Cliff

Author: Wang Ziqiang
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Publisher: Xiling Press
Publishing Date: 2005-11-01
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Dong Qichang (1555-1636), styled Xuanzai, was known as Sibai and Xiangguang Jushi. He was from Songjiang, Shanghai. Dong Qichang came from a poor family but achieved great success in his official career. In 1589 (the 17th year of the Wanli reign), at the age of 34, Dong Qichang passed the imperial examination and began his decades-long career in officialdom. He served as a compiler, a lecturer, and later held high-ranking positions such as Minister of Rites in Nanjing and Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent. He was highly sensitive to political changes and would resign and return to his hometown at the slightest turmoil, only to be recalled later. Dong Qichang was known as Wen Mi, excelled in Zen philosophy, was an expert in connoisseurship, wrote poetry and prose, and was skilled in calligraphy and painting as well as theory. He was a literary master in China and dominated the art world for decades, becoming one of the most outstanding and influential calligraphers and painters of late Ming.
Dong Qichang’s paintings excelled in landscape, emphasizing traditional techniques while pursuing a simple and natural style. He paid great attention to brushwork and ink, with clear layers of ink, a combination of rustic and elegance, and a refined, elegant, and leisurely charm. The Painting History and Essentials praised his works: "Dong Qichang’s landscapes and trees and rocks are moistened by mist and clouds, full of spirit and elegance, and executed with scholarly brushwork. His style is elegant and reserved, making him the greatest of our dynasty." His paintings had a profound influence on the art world of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and even on the modern art scene. His works have always been sought after by major collectors both at home and abroad.
Dong Qichang was an avid collector and once owned four landscape paintings by Dong Yuan: Xiangyang River, Jiashan Xingliu, Longxiu Jumin, and Xia Shan. He named his studio "Four Yuan Hall" after them. He also selected works such as Li Sixin’s Shujiang River and Qiujiang Daidu, Dong Yuan’s Zhengshang, Yunshan, and Qishan Xingliu, Ju Ran’s Shanshui, Fan Kuan’s Snow Mountain and Wangchuan Mountain Residence, Li Cheng’s Colored Mountain, Gu Zhongyou’s Wangchuan Mountain Residence, Jiang Guandao’s Jiangju, Zhao Dayan’s Xia Shan, Zhao Ziyang’s Dongting Twin Pictures and Gao Shan Shuilü, Wang Meng’s Qiu Shan, and Song Dynasty Album—a total of 18 pieces. From this, it is clear that Dong Qichang’s collection was enough to make him look down on his contemporaries.
Dong Qichang also achieved great success in calligraphy. His best work was in running and cursive scripts, and he was quite proud of his regular script, especially his small regular script. Although his time was marked by the popularity of the calligraphy of Zhao Mengfu and Wen Zhengming, Dong Qichang’s calligraphy was not entirely influenced by these two masters. His calligraphy combined the styles of the Jin, Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, forming his own unique style. His brushwork was elegant and ethereal, self-sufficient, with round and strong yet graceful strokes, simple yet ancient charm. His brushwork was precise, always maintaining a proper angle, with few weak or clumsy lines. In terms of composition, the spacing between characters and lines was balanced and harmonious, striving to follow ancient methods. His use of ink was also meticulous, mastering dry, wet, thick, and thin tones perfectly. By Dong Qichang, calligraphy was said to have reached its pinnacle, with no deficiencies in the "six scripts" or "eight methods." He was already "famous abroad," and his short letters and notes were sought after by people everywhere" (Ming Shi·Wenyuan Zhuan). Even in the mid-Qing Dynasty, emperors Kangxi and Qianlong revered his calligraphy, favoring it greatly and even personally copying his works, often placing them beside their seats for morning and evening admiration.
Kangxi once wrote a long inscription praising his calligraphy: "Dong Qichang of Huating has an extraordinary natural talent. His brushwork is high, elegant, and round, flowing between the ink, unmatched by others. Even in seemingly casual strokes, his spirit is unique, like the wind gently blowing and clouds softly rolling, capturing the essence of nature. I have observed his structures and characters, all rooted in the Jin dynasty. Throughout his life, he studied the Gezi extensively, mastering the wrist techniques of the Lanting and Shengjiao. His turning strokes are ancient and hidden, appearing clumsy yet skillful. Yan Zhenqing, Su Shi, and Mi Fu excelled in bold and sharp calligraphy, but their foundations were all in the Jin dynasty. Zhao Mengfu especially emulated Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi. Dong Qichang’s heritage is the same, so when he copies others, he captures their essence, yet his unique elegance shines through. His cursive script is also unrestrained and expressive, which I greatly admire. His mastery of ink, with alternating thick and thin tones, is even more extraordinary. He has copied so much, and I always say that his natural talent and hard work are both outstanding—truly not easy to achieve."
It is said that Kangxi personally copied Dong Qichang’s calligraphy, which made Dong’s style extremely popular, leading to a craze where everyone in the court studied his calligraphy. Scholars seeking official positions almost used Dong’s calligraphy as a shortcut to success. During the reigns of Kangxi and Yongzheng, his influence was unmatched by any other calligrapher.
Dong Qichang’s calligraphy has been the subject of both praise and criticism throughout history. Those who praised him used effusive language. Wang Wenji, a famous Qing scholar and calligrapher, called his calligraphy "the divine work of a calligrapher." Xie Zhao said, "His brushwork often surpasses the ancients." Zhou Shizhi remarked, "He mastered all six scripts and eight methods, drawing from Su Shi and entering Mi Fu, with a spirit and grace that seem heavenly." However, many also criticized him, with Bao Shichen and Kang Youwei being particularly harsh. Bao Shichen said, "His brushwork is somewhat timid." Kang Youwei mocked in Brocade Boat on the Art River: "Xiangguang (Dong Qichang) may be famous, but he is like a fasting Taoist priest, lacking spirit and warmth. If he were to face a great general marshaling his troops, with walls reaching the sky and banners changing color, he would surely hesitate and dare not descend the mountain!"
Dong Qichang’s path in calligraphy was forged by chance. It began during an examination when his calligraphy was poor, prompting him to study diligently and eventually become a master. This is recorded in his from the Painting Chan Studio, where he also described his journey in learning calligraphy: At the age of 17, he participated in an imperial examination. The magistrate of Songjiang, Zhong Zhenji, could have ranked him highly due to his literary talent but lowered him to second place because of his poor calligraphy, while promoting his cousin Dong Yuanzheng, who had better handwriting, to the top. This deeply frustrated Dong Qichang, and from then on, he devoted himself to calligraphy. He recalled: "The magistrate Zhong Hongxi of Jiangxi ranked my calligraphy as second, and from then on, I dedicated myself to practicing calligraphy. Initially, I studied Yan Zhenqing’s Dabota and later switched to Yu Yongxing’s Shiyou. I believed that Tang calligraphy was inferior to the Jin and Wei dynasties, so I imitated the Huangting Jing and Zhong Youchang’s Xuanshi Table, Limi Table, Huishi, and Bingshe. After three years, I felt I had mastered the ancients and no longer paid attention to Wen Zhengming and Zhu Xizhe." This passage shows that Dong Qichang studied and researched almost all the great masters before him, from Zhong Xian to Yan Zhenqing, from Huai Su to Yang Ningshi and Mi Fu, down to Zhao Mengfu of the Yuan dynasty.
Dong Qichang did not leave behind a dedicated treatise on calligraphy, but his insights and theories are scattered throughout his numerous inscriptions and comments. He once said, "Jin calligraphy seeks rhyme, Tang calligraphy seeks method, and Song calligraphy seeks meaning." This was the first time in history that the concepts of rhyme, method, and meaning were used to define the aesthetic orientations of calligraphy in the Jin, Tang, and Song dynasties. These views provided excellent interpretation and guidance for people’s understanding and study of classical calligraphy.
Dong Qichang was diligent in painting and calligraphy throughout his life and lived to a ripe old age, leaving behind many works. His representative works include Bai Juyi’s Pipa Xing, Three Generations’ Imperial Edicts, Cursive Script Poem Album, Commentary on Yanjiang’s Overlapping Peaks, Niu Kuan’s Tribute, and Front and Back Red Cliff Essays.