Ten Lectures on Calligraphy

Author: Zhu Gui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: Calligraphy is a highly attractive national art with a strong Eastern flavor. It blends the creation of nature with the human spirit, transforming the concrete into the abstract and the material into emotion, possessing a unique aesthetic appeal. Although the author is not a calligrapher by profession, he holds a great interest in this art. He enjoys appreciating and reading the works of famous calligraphers from ancient and modern times, as well as related treatises. The author's Ten Lectures on Calligraphy, which he read shortly after its publication in 1980, left a deep impression on him. The book's well-structured outline, concise yet comprehensive arguments, and the author's ability to draw from various sources while maintaining originality, combined with its elegant and refined writing style, made it memorable. However, as some review articles have mentioned, the book lacks sufficient illustrations, and certain chapters are overly concise and restrictive, leaving dedicated calligraphy learners feeling unsatisfied. If there were an opportunity for a substantial revision, it could better meet the needs of the audience. The author has fully leveraged the strengths of the original book while adding considerable new content. Not only does it provide detailed introductions to the fundamental techniques of calligraphy, such as brushwork, ink application, character composition, and layout, as well as the steps for learning calligraphy, with strong practicality, but it also offers systematic discussions on the essence of calligraphy, its origins, evolution, stylistic schools, the cultivation of calligraphers' "extra-characteristic achievements," and the creation and appreciation of calligraphic works. The book is richly illustrated, appropriately detailed, easy to understand, and engaging, allowing readers to grasp the basic principles of calligraphy in a relaxed and enjoyable way while immersing themselves in its emotional and artistic beauty.