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Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties
-------the flourishing period of Chinese calligraphy |
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| The calligraphy of the early Northern Song was the continuation
of the
Tang tradition. During the middle and late periods, new skills and
artistic
flavors emerged in large number. So called "Four Masters of the
Song Dynasty"
were represented by Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu and Cai Xiang. In
addition,
Zhao Ji invented his own unique style named "Slim Jin".
Zhang Jizhi, a
calligrapher of the Southern Song, was well known for his vigorous
and
imposing works.During the early Yuan period, calligraphers esteemed
masters
of the Jin and Tang dynasties. Zhao Mengfu provided great influence
on
calligraphic development during this period. Thus a calligraphy style
of
exquisite brush strokes and graceful shape dominated entire Yuan dynasty.
A steadier and more balanced style was developed by two famous calligraphers:
Xianyu Shu and Yang Weizhen.During the mid-Ming dynasty,
the "Wu Meng School" led by Zhu Yunming, Wen Zhengming and
Wang Chong became predominant. They advocated expressive calligraphic
style.
By promoting the works of ancient masters, Dong Qichang created his
own simple and elegant style in the late Ming Dynasty.During the
reigns of Qianlong and Jiaqing, more and more stone tablets were unearthed.
This period witnessed the unprecedented study and
connoisseurship of inscriptions on bronzes and stone tablets. This
broadened the calligraphic perspective and gave significant
influence on the calligraphic works at that time. During the late
Qing dynasty, calligraphers such as Deng Shiru, Yi Binshou,
Zhao Zhiqian created new styles by learning the Wei stone tablets,
the Han Official Script, bronze inscriptions and the scripts on
the "stone drum". |
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