Chinese Calligraphy

A Highly Sophisticated Fine Art An Important Carrier of Chinese Culture Yi-Zhi Huang (

黄一知

) Rutgers University

Chinese Calligraphy as an Art

• • • • A highly sophisticated An abstract art with a A large collections of fine art (not a folk art) long tradition classical art works Many years of technical training starting from a young age are necessary • • Need delicate tools and materials The standard for good art works are based on personal styles and influences on others

Chinese Calligraphy as a Carrier of Culture

• • • The basic education in China emphasizes music instrument ( 琴 ), go game ( 棋 ), calligraphy ( 书 ) and painting ( 画 ) An intellectual needs to be excellent in ( 诗 ), calligraphy ( 书 ) and painting ( 画 ) poetry The calligraphy work of a person often reflects his or her personality , education level and cultural background

Chinese Calligraphy as a Carrier of Culture

• • • Calligraphy was used as a criterion in the selection of officials in ancient China Chinese calligraphy also had a renaissance movement closely related to the changes in the society and the culture The western visual art has had much less influence on Chinese calligraphy than on Chinese painting

History and Different Scripts

• • • • • • • Oracle bone script ( Bronze script ( Small seal script ( Clerical script ( Regular script ( 钟鼎文,大篆 Running script ( 小篆 隶书 楷书 行书 ) ) 甲骨文 ) ) ) ) : 1400 to 1000 BC : 1300 to 200 BC : 200 BC to 800 AD : 400 BC to present : 200 AD to present : 100 AD to present Cursive script ( 草书 ) : 200 AD to present

Oracle Bone Script (

甲骨文

)

Oracle turtle shell with oracle bone scripts Artist: Luo, Zheng-Yu ( 罗振玉 )

Bronze Script (

钟鼎文,大篆

)

Stone drum with bronze scripts Artist: Wu, Chang-Shuo ( 吴昌硕 )

Small Seal Script (

小篆

)

Artist: Li, Si ( 李斯 ) Artist: Wang, Fu-An ( 王福庵 )

Clerical Script (

隶书

)

Yi Ying Stele ( 乙瑛碑 ) from Han Dynasty Artist: Huang, Bao-Yue ( 黄葆戉 )

Regular Script (

楷书

)

Artist: Yan, Zhen-Qing ( 颜真卿 ) Artist: Huang, Jian ( 黄简 )

Running Script (

行书

)

Artist: Wang, Xi-Zhi ( 王羲之 ) Artist: Shen, Yin-Mo ( 沈尹默 )

Cursive Script (

草书

)

Artist: Huai Su ( 怀素 ) Artist: Zhou, Zhi-Gao ( 周志高 )

Poetry and Chinese Calligraphy

• • • Chinese poems written using Chinese calligraphy reveal their full beauty • Chinese poems provide spiritual meanings to calligraphy works Many Chinese calligraphers are also poets In a calligraphy work with a poem as its content, the poem and the calligraphy are inseparable parts of the art work

Artist: Huang, Yi-Zhi ( 黄一知 ) Poet: Liu, Chang-Qinq ( 刘长卿 ) Artist: Gao, Shi-Xiong ( 高式熊 ) Poet: Wu, Chang-Shuo ( 吴昌硕 )

Artist: Shen, Pei-Fang ( 沈培方 ) Poet, Li, Bai ( 李白 ) Artist: Huang, Yi-Zhi ( 黄一知 ) Poet: Wang, Wei ( 王维 )

Chinese Painting and Calligraphy

• • • • Chinese painting and calligraphy have the same root （ 书画同源 ） Training in calligraphy is necessary for a Chinese painter Chinese paintings usually have calligraphy as a necessary part of the art work Techniques and styles in calligraphy revolutionized Chinese painting several times

Artist: Wu, Chang-Shuo ( 吴昌硕 ) Artist: Huang, Bao-Yue ( 黄葆戉 )

Chinese Calligraphy, Classical Music and Mathematics

• • Abstract but with a long tradition • A lot of training is needed for someone who would like to be a calligrapher, a classical musician or a mathematician • Experience and study are needed even for someone who just wants to appreciate them People can enjoy them individually but can still reach agreements on their beauty