Collect the couplet of Huang Tingjian: New Concept Calligraphy Manuscript · Issue 2

Author: Yu Feng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Beginners in calligraphy must start by copying ancient stele and inscriptions, striving for strokes, structures, and styles to resemble the originals. Once copying is mastered, the desire to create one's own works often leads to failure. The transition from copying to creation is not easy to cross; some may never make it or fail to do so properly, leading them astray. Selecting characters from the copied stele and inscriptions to form works is an excellent method. However, the text in the works may not all be found in the copied stele and inscriptions, even if they are found, they cannot be pieced together to achieve coherence in size, weight, inclination, and mutual correspondence. For this reason, we have decided to invite experienced calligraphers to edit and publish a series of couplets and poetic works composed of characters collected from famous stele and inscriptions across history, using computer image processing technology, to present the most perfect results to readers.
Huang Tingjian (1045-1105) was a poet and calligrapher of the Northern Song Dynasty, styled Luzhi, known as the Mountain Valley Taoist and also called Fuweng. He was born in Fennin (now Xiushui, Jiangxi) in Hongzhou. He passed the imperial examination during the Zhiping era of Emperor Yingzong and held positions such as School Librarian, Secretary of the Imperial Library, and Vice Minister of Personnel. He was renowned for his scholarship and literary talent throughout his life, particularly in calligraphy. Initially, he studied under Zhou Yue, later taking inspiration from Yan Zhenqing, Zhang Xu, Bei Su, and the "Stele of the Burial of the Crane." His running script features refined, steady, and bold central-line strokes, with dynamic and unconventional composition. His characters are tight in the center and loose on the outside, resembling arrows shot from a bow, creating an expansive and distinctive style, making him one of the "Four Great Calligraphers of the Song Dynasty." His surviving running-script works include "Poem of the Pine Wind Pavilion," "Poem for Han Shanzi and Pang Jushi," "Vows," "Poem at the Temple of General Fan Chao," and "Biography of Fan Pang." This book is composed of characters collected from the aforementioned works, with couplets selected from both ancient and modern verses appreciated by all, including some written by the compilers. It aims to provide readers with assistance and reference in transitioning from appreciating and practicing Huang Tingjian's calligraphy to creating their own works.