Wang Duo's One Hundred Methods of Running Script Radicals

Author: Zhu Yanping, Sun Xuming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: Wang Duo (1592-1652) was a renowned calligrapher during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. He studied under the masters such as Zhong Yao, Wang Xizhi, and Wang Xianzhi, and proposed the view that "if calligraphy does not follow the tradition of the Jin dynasty, it will eventually deviate into wildness." He also learned from the Tang and Song dynasty masters such as Yan Zhenqing and Mi Fu. Wang Duo drew upon diverse influences, blending ancient techniques with innovation. His brushwork was vigorous and dynamic, with a spirit that soared yet could also be restrained, and he often won through boldness while maintaining balance. He excelled in the arrangement of strokes and spaces, forming a unique style. He was renowned as the "Calligrapher of the Divine Hand" and the "Divine Brush Wang Duo." Running script was one of Wang Duo's most skilled calligraphic styles. His unrestrained use of ink, the soaring structure of his characters, and the ever-changing composition created a distinctive rhythm and musicality in visual terms. This book explains one hundred fundamental radicals in Wang Duo's running script in the form of the Mi-style grid. The book is divided into six parts: stroke introduction, radical introduction, single-character calligraphy, compound structures, collected-character works, and representative works. This book is suitable for calligraphy beginners of all ages to learn as an introductory guide.