The Research on New Changes in Styles of Zhuanli Masters

• Main Authors: Chen Shiow-june, 陳秀雋
• Other Authors: Zheng Feng-Ming
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/27130816542014568808

博士 === 國立臺中教育大學 === 語文教育學系碩博士班 === 101 === Chinese calligraphy, the essence and crystal of culture, uses Han characters as the source material of art to express the realm of souls. As a representation of Chinese culture, Chinese calligraphy has been called “the art of cultural elites” since Han Dynasty. With six chapters, the thesis is called The Research on New Changes in Styles of Zhuanli Masters. The first chapter is an introduction to show the motivation, aim, and the realm of research and the explanation of the terms; the second chapter illustrates the writing and learning environment of Qing Dynasty and how the special atmosphere of the dynasty facilitated the resurgence of Zhuanli calligraphy; the third chapter features the new changes in styles of Zhuanli masters in the early Qing Dynasty and the objects of study include Cheng Fu, Wang Shu, and Jin Nong; the fourth chapter focuses on the new changes in styles of Zhuanli masters in the middle Qing Dynasty and the objects of study are Gui Fu, Deng Shi-Ru, Yi Bing-Shou, and Chen Hong-Shou; the fifth chapter highlights the new changes in styles of Zhuanli masters in the late Qing Dynasty and the objects of study involve WU Xi-Zai, Ho Shao-Chi, Yang Yi-Sun, Zhao Zhi-Qian, Wu Da-Cheng, and Wu Chang-Shuo. The research mainly probes into the achievement of new changes in Zhuanli masters from the perspective of the masters’ biographies, how they learned the calligraphy, the work analysis and the style evaluation. When it comes to Chinese calligraphy research, study on styles is regarded as the most valuable and meaningful. The precious part about art is creativity. If no changes took place, there would be no great masters. Zhuanli was developed principally during Zhou, Qin, East Han and West Han Dynasties but declined in Song, Yuan, Ming Dynasties when Tie style flourished. The particular writing environment of Qing Dynasty and the development of textual criticism, etymology, and epigraphy impelled the renaissance of Zhuanli and Beibei. New changes in Qing’s Zhuanli were shown by the tools used, on Bei tie (rubbings from stone inscriptions), in shapes and styles, or in the integrated writing. The writing styles were diversified and talented people were abundant in Qing Dynasty, which were quite different from the styles of Zhou, Qin, East Han and West Han Dynasties. As for styles of the era, Qing Dynasty was famous for the pursuit of simple and innocent qualities. It was widely believed that if art and literature were simpler and more innocent, more sincerity would be shown in the works. In my opinion, this quality is the core artistic value of Qing’s Zhuanli. Zhuanli in the early Qing Dynasty was still at the exploratory stage and the styles and forms were awkward since the corresponding manifestations were undetermined; in the middle Qing period, Zhuanli writers showed unique styles; in the late Qing, as epigraphy was highly developed and deepened, innovation was integrated and the result was fruitful. “Turn the old into new” and “combine with Bei tie” are the two mainstreams in the innovation of Chinese calligraphy. New changes are mainly about the quality and form. Learning Zhuanli is helpful to upgrade the outlining of calligraphy writing, while changes in form depend on writers to open up new calligraphy aesthetic visions. Form is used to expressing meanings, and meaningful forms can deliver ideas. Qing’s bamboo and wooden slips haven’t yet been unearthed, but studies regarding the slips are quite popular nowadays. By learning Chinese bronze inscriptions, studying writings on bamboo and wooden slips, and imitating the bell and Han steles, writers today are possible to surpass the Qing masters in calligraphy writing. The Qing calligraphy masters were mostly poets, painters, or seal cutting and text specialists, and some of them are even experts in all of the fields mentioned. This shows that calligraphy is a form of art whose foundation lies in knowledge.