Calligraphy Ten Lectures (Fifth Edition Revised Version)

Author: Ru Gui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: Calligraphy is a highly appealing national art with a strong Eastern charm. It fuses nature and the soul, 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 had read shortly after its publication in 1980, left a deep impression on him. The book's well-structured outline, concise yet comprehensive discussions, blend of diverse influences with original insights, and elegant and refined writing style made it memorable. However, as some review articles have mentioned, the limited number of illustrations and the overly concise treatment of certain chapters left some readers, especially those deeply engaged in calligraphic studies, feeling unsatisfied. With a chance for a more substantial revision, the book could better meet the needs of the public. The author has fully leveraged the strengths of the original text 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 calligraphic art, 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, accessible yet profound, and engagingly written, allowing readers to effortlessly grasp the basic principles of calligraphic art while immersing themselves in its emotional and artistic beauty.