Wang Duo's Cursive Script Scroll Collection: Du Ling's Autumn Meditations Scroll

Author: Liu Canzhang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-07-01
Features: Wang Xi (1592–1652), styled Jiesi, also known as Juezhi, styled Songqiao, Chiqiao, and Xueshan. Born in Shuanghuaili, Mengjin, Henan in the 20th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, he began studying at the age of 14, entered the county school at 16, passed the provincial examination at 30, and was selected as an imperial scholar in the Hanlin Academy at the age of 31 during the Tianqi era. In the 11th year of the Chongzhen era, he served as Minister of Rites, Vice Academician of the Hanlin Academy, Lecturer at the Imperial Academy, and member of the Teaching Hall. When the Hongguang court was established, he entered the Grand Secretariat as the second deputy prime minister and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty the following year. In the third year of the Shunzhi era, he served as Vice Minister of Rites and acting chief editor of the Ming Shi (History of the Ming Dynasty) in the Hanlin Academy. In the sixth year of the Shunzhi era, he was appointed as Left Vice Minister of Rites and chief editor of the Shizu Wen Di Shilu (Veritable Records of Emperor Shizu Wen), and was promoted to the rank of Shaobao in the same year. He passed away in his hometown in the ninth year of the Shunzhi era and was posthumously honored as Wen'an. Wang Xi excelled in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, particularly in calligraphy. He was proficient in all calligraphic styles, with his cursive script being the most outstanding. This collection includes the essence of Wang Xi's cursive script, showcasing his calligraphic style across different periods. Wang Xi's cursive script style blends the techniques of the Wang brothers, incorporates the (manic grass) methods of Tang Dynasty calligraphers, and absorbs the characteristics of Huang Tingjian and Mi Fu, establishing a unique style that elevates cursive script to new heights and influences Chinese calligraphy for over four hundred years. His cursive script is grand and majestic, with a dynamic and vibrant rhythm that exudes powerful impact and awe. His brushwork is exceptionally rich, primarily using the central axis technique while also employing multi-directional flourishes. In his circular and turning strokes, he skillfully incorporates subtle retractions and sharp angles to enhance momentum. Wang Xi's brushwork has become one of the defining features of his style, perfectly embodying the aesthetic qualities of elegance and strength. His structure is tight yet fluid, with interconnected and dynamic forms, leaning and tilting in a balanced yet daring manner. Wang Xi excelled in ink usage, pioneering the "swelling ink" technique. His ink application varies in thickness, lightness, dryness, and wetness, creating a strong rhythmic effect when combined with his dynamic brushwork. Wang Xi's swelling ink technique expanded the expressive possibilities of ink in calligraphy, enhancing its emotional intensity and profoundly influencing the development of the ink (aesthetic interest) school of calligraphy after the Qing Dynasty. Wang Xi's composition is extraordinary, particularly in how he divides the spatial forms of his works. As the ancients said, "Sparse areas remain sparse, dense areas remain dense—sparse areas allow passage, dense areas are impervious to wind." To create his masterful compositional spaces, Wang Xi meticulously considered the lightness and heaviness of his brushstrokes, the speed and slowness of his writing, the straightness and curvature of his lines, the connection and separation of his dots, the irregularity of his arrangements, the variation in his character groups, and the density of his lines. We have selected ten of Wang Xi's treasured cursive script masterpieces from his ten "volume" albums, providing readers with an excellent model.