The origin and evolution of calligraphy, what is the evolution process of China's calligraphy?

Calligraphy, in the long historical development process, has formed a unique and profound traditional national art, which is a rare cultural treasure of the Chinese nation.

Generally speaking, calligraphy can be divided into five styles, and each category can be subdivided.

A detailed understanding of the differences and inheritance of various calligraphy styles will help to understand the profound connotation of calligraphy art, help beginners to understand the evolution and development of calligraphy in detail, and lay a solid foundation for future calligraphy creation.

(A) seal script

There are two kinds of seal script: big seal script and small seal script.

big seal character

(1) Oracle Bone Inscriptions

It is the earliest writing. During the Shang Dynasty (3000 years ago), when ancestors predicted bad luck, recorded divination, sacrifice and other activities, they were carved on tortoise bones and animal bones.

(2) Zhong Dingwen

During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties in the Bronze Age, the inscriptions on bronzes, also known as bronze inscriptions, represented musical instruments with bells and ritual vessels with ding. At that time, a surname Shu arranged these words. Wen Shu refers to Zhong Dingwen, a real seal script.

(3) Shi Guwen

Carved by Qin in the Warring States Period. Ten stone drums shaped like drums are now in the Palace Museum in Beijing.

2. Xiao zhuan

Early writing was in the primary stage, especially in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, which was not standardized. There are many ways to write a word, and there are many pictographic elements in the word, such as the word "horse".

After Qin Shihuang unified the writing, the writing of Xiao Zhuan was also unified. The structure of Xiao Zhuan is vertical, the cloth is white and symmetrical, the pen center turns round, and the line thickness changes little. There is a rich and mellow beauty, called the word jade seal, like jade chopsticks.

According to legend, there were several kinds of seal scripts in Qin Dynasty. There are prints of birds, insects and snake heads, and the shapes of birds, insects and snake heads are painted at the beginning of these prints. Calligraphy art is not a concrete expression of objective things, but an abstract art, so this kind of calligraphy can only be a flash in the pan in history, and it can't be a real calligraphy art. As far as seal calligraphy art is concerned, Zhong Dingwen and Shi Guwen have simple structures, which are more loved by future generations because of their simple beauty. Zhou Xuanwang's Mao Dinggong has 32 lines and 497 words, which is the best bronze inscription. In addition, Daiwa Pan is also a masterpiece in bronze inscriptions.

(2) Official script

Also known as "official characters" and "ancient books". It is a font produced on the basis of seal script to meet the needs of convenient writing. The seal script is simplified, and the uniform circle lines of the seal script are changed into straight strokes, which is convenient for writing. Official script can be divided into "Qin Li" (also called "Guli") and "Han Li" (also called "Golden Calendar"). The appearance of official script is a great change in ancient writing and calligraphy.

Official script is a common solemn font in Chinese characters, with a slightly flat writing effect, long horizontal drawing and short straight drawing, and pays attention to "silkworm head and goose tail" and "twists and turns"

Lishu originated in the Qin Dynasty and reached its peak in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Calligraphy is known as "Han Li Tang Kai". It is also said that official script originated in the Warring States period.

The Origin of Official Script —— Official Script of Qin Dynasty

In the process of "writing in the same language", Qin Shihuang ordered Li Si to create Xiao Zhuan, and also adopted the official script compiled by Cheng Miao. Xu Shen of the Han Dynasty recorded this history in Shuo Wen Jie Zi: "... Qin burned books, purged the old people, officers and men made outstanding contributions, were promoted to military service and defended, and there were countless officials and prisons. At first, it was an official script, for the convenience of agreement. " As an official script, Xiao Zhuan's writing speed is slow, which turns official script into a square fold and improves writing efficiency. Guo Moruo used "the greater achievement of Qin Shihuang's reform of writing was the adoption of official script" to evaluate its importance (the development of the debate on ancient Chinese characters in the slavery era).

Official script is basically evolved from seal script, mainly changing the round strokes of seal script into square folds, which makes writing faster, and it is difficult to draw round strokes when writing with pigments on wooden slips.

The Prosperity of Official Documents —— Han Li

At the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty, Qin Li's style was still used, but it began to change greatly in the Xin Mang period, resulting in the writing method of stippling. By the Eastern Han Dynasty, Lishu had produced many styles and left a large number of stone carvings. Zhang Qianbei and Cao Quanbei are the representative works of this period.

The second peak of official script

After Wei and Jin Dynasties, calligraphy, cursive script, running script and regular script formed and developed rapidly. Although the official script has not been abandoned, it has not changed much and there has been a long silence.

In the Qing Dynasty, in the wave of the revival of stele study, official script was re-valued, and famous calligraphers such as Zheng Xie and Jin Nong appeared, who made innovations on the basis of inheriting Han Li.

The evolution of official script-the change of official script

The evolution of official script is called "official change", which is a link between the past and the future and plays an important role in the formation of cursive script and regular script.

Official script terms: Gu Li, Jin Li, Li Qin, Han Li, Zuo Shu, Ba fen, Cao Li and Wei Li.

Official script is relative to seal script, and its name originated from the Eastern Han Dynasty. The appearance of official script is another great change of China characters, which brings China's calligraphy art into a new realm, is a turning point in the development history of Chinese characters, and lays the foundation for regular script. Official script is flat, neat and exquisite. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, stippling such as skimming was beautified as upward provocation, with different degrees of severity and artistic beauty of calligraphy. Styles also tend to be diversified, which is of great artistic appreciation value.

Han Li is exquisite in silk paintings, lacquerware, portraits and uranium mirrors. In the inscription, it shows its broad momentum and unique charm. There are two main forms of existence in Hanli: stone carving and bamboo slips. Most of the official scripts in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties are regular script. There are many calligraphers in the official script of the Tang Dynasty, such as Xu Hao. Song Yuanming's official script can hardly inspire Han Li's brilliance. Until the Qing dynasty. Han Li recovered. Deng, He, et al. , has made great achievements.

The representative works of Lishu mainly include Zhang Qianbei, Cao Quanbei, Monument to the Book of Rites, Monuments before and after Chen Shi, Monument to Yiying and Ode to Shimen. As early as before the Qin dynasty, there was a preliminary form of official script on bamboo slips. After a long evolution, when paper was invented and used in Han Dynasty, writing was no longer restricted by narrow bamboo slips, and the performance of writing brush was fully exerted. Lishu broke through a single center in Qin Zhuan, with rich brushwork. The center and flank, Fang Bi and round pen, hidden front and exposed front all showed their magical powers. The strokes have the beauty of waves and ripples, and the most representative ones are the strokes of "silkworm head" and "dovetail". Such lines show that calligraphers at that time wanted to get rid of uniformity and monotony in concept and seek liveliness and diversity. In the structure of characters, it has changed the tendency of "Biography" to be horizontal and vertical, and the character potential extends horizontally. Mature Han Li is an important turning point in the history of calligraphy, and the basic form of Chinese characters has been established. The overall style of official script is neat, magnificent and flexible.

(3) cursive script

Cursive script: a font produced for the convenience of writing. It began in the early Han Dynasty. At that time, it was "Cao Li", that is, scribbled official script, which gradually developed into a kind of "Cao Zhang" with artistic value. Before the Han Dynasty, Zhang Zhi changed "Cao Zhang" to "modern grass", and the character style was formed in one stroke. In the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Xu and Huai Su developed into "weeds", with continuous strokes and changeable glyphs. The cursive script is characterized by simple structure and continuous strokes. "Big grass" and "small grass" are symmetrical. Big grass is pure grass-based and difficult to identify. Zhang Xu and Huai Su are good at it, and their words are written in one stroke, sometimes out of line, but the context is constant.

The cursive script is divided into Cao Zhang, Jincao and Crazy Grass.

1. Representative works include Wu's Urgent Chapter, General's Team Post and Jin's Le Yi Post.

Cursive script is an earlier script than regular script. Cao Zhang began the evolution from seal script to official script, and official script had a greater influence on Cao Zhang. The font is in the form of official script, and the characters are different and correct each other. Therefore, Cao Zhang is also called cursive script. Representative figures of Cao Zhang: You Shi, Du Du, Cui Yuan, Zhang Zhi, Zhang Xu and others in Han Dynasty, Huang Xiang and Suo Jing in Three Kingdoms.

2. This grass originated in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, with diverse styles and beautiful brushwork. There are many representative works of this kind of grass, the most famous of which are Seventeen Posts written by Wang Xizhi in Jin Dynasty and Shu Pu written by Sun in Tang Dynasty.

This kind of grass is propagated from Cao Zhang. Zhang Zhi played a great role in the establishment of modern grass industry in Han Dynasty, and was called "the sage of grass". Unfortunately, there is no ink on him today. The name "Modern Grass" was given by the rulers to distinguish it from Cao Zhang. Many famous calligraphers in the past dynasties were good at modern calligraphy. Huang Tingjian, Zhao Meng, Xian Yushu, Zhu Yunming, Wen Zhiming, Xu Wei, Zhang Ruitu, Fu Shan and Wang Feng all left many Mo Bao.

The cursive strokes are omitted and interwoven, which is convenient for quick writing. Replacing radicals with symbols is both normative and flexible. This is the best way to express the feelings of this book.

3. The most famous Weeds are Zhang Xu's Four-character Poems in Tang Dynasty and Huai Su's Autobiographical Posts in Tang Dynasty.

The writing of wild cursive script is the same as today's cursive script, but the difference is that it is written wildly, and there are many Lian Bi and ellipsis, which can best reflect the wild temperament of calligraphers. History says "get drunk before you rest", which means that when Zhang Xu and Huai Su are often drunk, they often dance with ink, and their weeds flow and fly away, making them feel dangerous, especially Xia Yun, who is unpredictable and stirring.

In Qing Dynasty, Feng Ban gave a lecture on cursive script in "Blunt Printing Book": learn from it, learn from it, learn from it, and learn from Zhang Xu as weeds, so it is better to learn from Huai Su. Huai Su's cursive script is easy to recognize, the handwriting is fine, and the relationship between words is clear and easy to put pen to paper. Zhang Xu's glyphs vary widely, often a number, and the momentum between them is constant, which is difficult to identify and forms a unique style.

Li Shu's common brushwork is elegant with a pen, which is called Cao Li, and some are like Cao Zhang, which is related to his usual skill in writing Li Shu, so Cao Li can create a unique style. It is also a way to write performances.

Cursive script is called "cursive script", and there are many ways of writing, that is, running script close to cursive script. The brushwork is relatively smooth. In the Qing Dynasty, Liu Xizai's Outline of Books said that there were "true line" and "careless line" in running scripts. The "true line" is similar to the real book and perpendicular to the truth, while the "grass line" is similar to the cursive script and converges to the grass.

(4) Run the script

A font between regular script and cursive script. It is to make up for the shortcomings of slow writing in regular script and illegible cursive script. The brushwork is not as sloppy as cursive script, and it is not required to be as correct as regular script. There are more methods of mold opening than cursive writing, which is called "mold opening". Cursive calligraphy is more than modular method, which is called "cursive calligraphy".

Running script came into being in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Running script is a font between modern cursive and regular script, which can be said to be cursive or cursive. The most famous masterpiece is Preface to Lanting written by Wang Xizhi, a calligrapher in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Predecessors described it as "a dragon descending from heaven, a tiger lying in a phoenix pavilion" and praised it as "the best running script in the world". Tang Yan Zhenqing's book "Sacrificing a Nephew" is very bold, and the ancients rated it as "the second running script in the world". Running script with regular script or close to regular script is called "running script", and cursive script or close to cursive script is called "running script". The famous representative work in the running script is Lushan Temple Monument written by Li Yong in Tang Dynasty, which is fluent and rich. There are Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fei and Cai Xiang in the Song Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu, Xian Yushu and Li Kang in the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Yunming, Wen Zhiming, Dong Qichang and Wang Duo in the Ming Dynasty, and those in the Qing Dynasty. They are all good at running script or cursive script, and many works have been handed down from generation to generation.

Divided into running script and running script.

Such as: Preface to Lanting by Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Many of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy inscriptions seen in modern times are not his original works, but are mostly copied or collected by later generations. Most of Wang Xizhi's original works are buried in the tomb of Emperor Taizong. In Tang Dynasty, Li Yong's Lushan Temple Monument, Ting Jian's Song Fengge Poetry, Fei's Tiaoxi Poetry Collection, Yuan Zhao Mengfu's Luo Shen Fu, and Zhiming's Zuiwengting Ji, etc.

Stroll on the grass

For example, Wang Xianzhi's duck head pill post, Mid-Autumn Festival post and Yan Zhenqing's nephew post, running script is the most suitable one between regular script and cursive script. Those close to regular script are called running script, and those close to cursive script are called running script. Running grass is a calligraphy style founded by Wang Xianzhi, and Duck Head Pill Sticks is his masterpiece. The original is now in Shanghai Museum. There are many running scripts and inscriptions.

(5) Regular script

Regular script is also called official script, or real book. Its characteristics are: square shape, straight strokes, can be used as a model, hence the name. Began in the Eastern Han Dynasty. There are many famous regular script writers, such as Ou Ti (Ou Yangxun), Yu Ti (Yu Shinan), Yan Ti (Yan Zhenqing), Liu Ti (Liu Gongquan) and Zhao Ti (Zhao Mengfu).

Song Xuanhe's Book Score: "In the early Han Dynasty, Wang Cizhong began to use official script as regular script." People think that regular script evolved from official script. It is said: "On the tomb of Confucius, a regular script tree planted by Zi Gongzhi has straight and unyielding branches." The strokes of regular script are concise and refreshing, and must be like the branches of regular script trees.

There were few early official scripts, with a slightly wider structure, long horizontal painting and short straight painting. Wei Jinzhong, handed down from generation to generation, such as Zhong You's Declaration Form, Ji Zhi Table, Wang Xizhi's Theory of Music and Huang Tingjing, can all be regarded as representative works. Look at its characteristics, as Weng Fanggang said: "Change the wave painting of official script, pick it up, and still keep the vertical of official script."

After the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the north and the south were divided, and calligraphy was also divided into two factions. The calligraphy style of the Northern School has inherited the legacy of Han Li. The brushwork is simple and rigorous, but the style is simple and rigorous, so it is called "Weibei". Southern calligraphy is more sparse and beautiful than letters. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, because of regional differences, personal habits and book styles were very different. The books in the North are strong and the books in the South are rich, each of which is wonderful and inseparable, while Bao and Kang Youwei highly admire the books of the two dynasties, especially the epitaphs of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Kang cited ten beauties to emphasize the advantages of Weibei.

Regular script in the Tang Dynasty, like the prosperity of the national situation in the Tang Dynasty, is really unprecedented. Calligraphy style is mature, and calligraphers come forth in large numbers. In terms of regular script, Yu Shinan, Ou Yangxun, Chu Suiliang in the early Tang Dynasty, Yan Zhenqing in the middle Tang Dynasty and Liu Gongquan in the late Tang Dynasty all regarded his regular script works as models of calligraphy.

In ancient times, there was a saying: "Learning calligraphy must start with the pattern, and writing must start with the big characters. Chinese characters are based on Yan, Chinese characters are based on Europe, Chinese characters are familiar, and then they are gathered into small characters. " However, according to the results of many years of experimental research, it is not appropriate for beginners to learn too big words first, but it is more suitable for Chinese letters.

The regular script of Ou Yangxun, Yu Shinan and Chu Suiliang, three great calligraphers in the early Tang Dynasty, is the most suitable model for copying Chinese characters.

Lower case: As the name implies, it is a kind of lower case, which was created by Zhong Yao in the Wei Dynasty of the Three Kingdoms. He was originally the most outstanding authoritative official script master, and his regular script brushwork was born in Han Li, and his brushwork is as vivid as flying in the sea. However, the structure is wide and flat, the horizontal painting is long and the vertical painting is short, and the legacy of official division still exists. However, the model method is ready, and it is actually the ancestor of the official book. When Wang Xizhi came to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he studied the lower case calligraphy more carefully and made it perfect, which also set a good appreciation standard for China's lower case calligraphy.

Generally speaking, writing small characters is very different from writing big characters. In principle, writing big characters should be close and seamless, and writing small characters should be more spacious.

There is not much difference between the center of gravity of writing fine print and the coordination of strokes. As for the pen, it is slightly different. Small print should be round, beautiful, straight and neat; Big characters should be magnificent and heavy. Use the back front (hidden front) to write big characters and the back front to receive pens; You don't have to use sharp edges to write fine print, but use sharp edges to collect pens. For example, when writing a horizontal line, the pen is pointed or pointed, and the pen is round; Write vertically, start or pause, and receive the pen sharply; Skimming the pen to make it fat: hold the pen to make it fat, and at the same time bend slightly from left to right, with vivid and emotional strokes; Point should be sharp and round, pick should be sharp and sharp, bend inside and outside, and hook should be half bent and half straight. The pen is flexible and limitless. In particular, the whole word should be written in different strokes, but in harmony. A line of words is patchwork, but it has always come down in one continuous line. If there is, it will naturally run through and look like a pearl necklace.

There are many copybooks in small letters, among which the reputation of small letters in Jin and Tang Dynasties is the most prominent. These books usually include Wei Shizhong's Announcement Post and Ji Zhi Biao, Wang Xizhi's On Music and Yi, North's Huang Ting Jing, Luo Shen Fu Thirteen Lines, Tang Zhong Shaojing's Ling Fei Jing and so on. There are also ink photocopies of works in lower case such as Yuan Zhao Mengfu, Ming Wang Chong and Zhu Yunming, which are also good examples.

Zhong You's calligraphy style is simple, but none of the handed down works "Declaration Form" and "Recommended Season Table" are true, and most of them are handed down or temporary works by later generations. Appreciating a good copy, you can imagine its quaint style.

Block letters: Generally speaking, people call block letters more than one inch and less than a few inches block letters. The larger characters in real books are called "Bangshu" and "Broken Book". According to the accumulated experience of calligraphers in past dynasties, learning calligraphy should start with writing big characters and doing basic exercises. Mastering the stippling, structure and white cloth in block letters, and making stippling accurate and proper, then writing in block letters can be comprehensive and the stippling rules are clear; Moreover, the study list can be intimate, open-minded and not distracted.

Regular script is the latest font, which began at the end of Han Dynasty. Zhong You's Declaration Form in the Han Dynasty, Zhong You's Ji Zhi Biao, Zhang Menglong's Monument in the Northern Wei Dynasty, Cong Baozi's Monument in the Jin Dynasty, Wang Xizhi's Reading Comments in the Jin Dynasty and Huang Tingjing in the Jin Dynasty. There is a legend about Huang Tingjing: A Taoist in Yinshan knew that Wang Xizhi loved geese and traded white geese for Huang Tingjing, so this post is also called "Changing Goose Post". Thirteen Lines of Luoshen Fu in Jin Dynasty, Dragon Monument in Southern Dynasty, Liquan inscription in Jiucheng Palace in Tang Dynasty, Diligence Monument in Yan Zhenqing in Tang Dynasty, Shence Army Monument and Xuanta Monument in Tang Dynasty. Zhong You played an extremely important role in the creation of regular script. The original clock has long been lost, and the declaration form was copied by people in Jin and Tang Dynasties. The pen is simple and vigorous, natural and graceful. There is still a sense of body.

Weibei, Jianbao Monument and Long Yan Monument are early regular script, with Fang Bi as the protagonist, vigorous and simple.

Regular script has been perfected in Jin Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty standardized regular script, with rigorous methods and dignified writing. Dignity is not horizontal or vertical, and careful appreciators can see subtle and coordinated changes in the book. For example, Ou Yangxun's "Ninety percent Palace Ritual Spring Inscription" contains rich connotations.