Calligraphy of Rice Market

Author: China Book Publishing House
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-01-01
Features: Practicing calligraphy and learning from stone inscriptions and rubbings are essential paths. Learning stone inscriptions involves two steps: reading and writing, which can be alternated repeatedly. Reading involves identifying strokes, structure, and composition by studying the rubbings, preparing for writing. Writing, in turn, includes copying and tracing. Collectively known as "copying and tracing." Copying and tracing involve replicating the strokes, structure, and composition of the characters. When copying, one should first write by referring to the rubbing, known as "direct copying." After mastering direct copying, one can write the characters entirely from memory without referring to the rubbing, known as "free copying." Once free copying is proficient, it indicates that the study of the rubbing has reached a certain stage. There are several methods for tracing: red tracing, shadow tracing, and outline tracing. It is recommended that learners of stone inscriptions combine reading with copying and tracing. Moreover, copying and tracing can be combined using a three-step method: Step 1: Directly copy the rubbing once; Step 2: Trace the same rubbing, which can reveal the errors from Step 1; Step 3: Directly copy the same rubbing again to correct the errors discovered in Step 2. This method is very helpful for improving calligraphy practice efficiency.
Mi Fu, originally named Mi Fu, changed his name to Mi Fu in the sixth year of Yuanyou, and was known as the "Past Master of Xiangyang," the "Sea Mountain Historian," and the "Deer Gate Resident." He was also called "Mi Nan Gong" and "Mi Dian." Mi Fu studied calligraphy under Wang Xizhi, calligraphy under Shi Zhu, and clerical script under Fei Yi Guan. In his later years, he mastered both rules and freedom, and claimed that only one stroke could truly be called good calligraphy, while he alone could achieve it in all directions. Mi Fu's reputation as a calligrapher was well-deserved and did not disappoint the world. Mi Fu was not particularly skilled in regular script, seal script, or clerical script, but he truly excelled in running script and cursive script. His calligraphy was deeply rooted in the calligraphy of the Six Dynasties, making his style profound and expressive, like riding a fine horse—advancing and retreating with ease, without the need for reins, yet always pleasing to the eye. Mi Fu's calligraphy, alongside Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, and Cai Jing, was known as the "Four Masters of the Song Dynasty" and had a significant influence on later generations. The calligraphy works selected in this collection are all excellent examples of Mi Fu's work, intended for calligraphy enthusiasts to appreciate and practice.