The Eight Laws of Yongzi are a compulsory course for understanding "books" and "laws"
Zhou Ruchang, "Red Scholar Taidou", summarized the experience of 70 years of calligraphy research
Directly attack the problem of learning calligraphy, and tell the beauty of Chinese characters
The 20th anniversary of publication is a hardcover commemorative edition, with new revisions and additions, and a separate copy of the author's rare calligraphy inscription before his death
The Eight Laws of Yongzi: Lecture Notes on the Art of Calligraphy
Author: Zhou Ruchang
Editor: Zhou Lunling
Publisher: Republic of | Guangxi Normal University Press
Zhou Ruchang, the "Taidou of Red Studies", said that he had worked harder on calligraphy than he had studied in Red
Mr. Zhou Ruchang once said: "I have worked much harder on 'calligraphy' than I have on 'red studies'. "Studying books as a teenager, writing books in the fires of the Anti-Japanese War, writing books during the Tangshan earthquake, and studying and studying calligraphy throughout Zhou Ruchang's academic career."
In his view, Chinese characters are the unique wisdom of the Chinese nation, and their beauty is incomparable, unique in heaven and on earth. Chinese character writing has also become a specialized and superb art, which has been passed down for thousands of years, and this art cannot be abandoned and declined.
As a summary of Zhou Ruchang's lifelong calligraphy creation and research, the "Eight Laws of Yongzi" really answers the questions encountered in the study of calligraphy: choose the wolf pen or the sheep pen? Do beginners start with the seal or start with the script? Monument or Pro-Post? Do you have to be a centerer? How exactly is the "Hidden Front" hidden? What do you mean by "cone painting sand" and "house leak marks"? Why take the word "eternal" alone and establish the "Eight Laws"... Zhou Ruchang not only patiently replied to specific questions, but also generalized them, covering key issues such as brushwork, posture, structure and style in calligraphy creation, as well as theoretical topics such as the origin of Chinese characters and the aesthetics of calligraphy.
The "Eight Laws of Yongzi" is a compulsory course for understanding the "law" of "books"
Learning calligraphy can be roughly divided into three aspects - using the pen, structure, and style, and the pen is the key. It can even be said that learning calligraphy is learning to use the pen - penmanship. "Yongzi Eight Laws" is the ancients to "Yong" character as an example, summarized the eight basic strokes of the calligraphy of the writing points, can be called the basic law of calligraphy learning, but also the basic skill of learning calligraphy, but also to understand the "book" has a "law" of the compulsory course. This book takes the "Eight Laws of Yongzi" as the starting point and explains in detail the methods of calligraphy learning, calligraphy theory and calligraphy aesthetics.
The Eight Laws of Yongzi is divided into three parts: the upper, middle and lower parts. The "Calligraphy Art Q&A" in the form of one question and one answer, answers the common problems in the process of learning calligraphy, expounds the basic connotation of the "Yongzi Eight Methods" and its application in writing, which can be described as "answering questions and solving doubts". If the upper edition is an "entry", the middle edition of the "Calligraphy Bible" is "advanced" - tracing the origin of calligraphy, analyzing several keywords in the aesthetics of calligraphy, such as composure, danger, sharpness, flattery, etc., explaining the history and aesthetics of calligraphy art from a more macroscopic perspective. The next edition of "The Mystery of Calligraphy" is even more in-depth "Calligraphy Tang Ao", and specially discusses the calligraphy brushwork, the connotation of "flattery", the origin of Chinese calligraphy "Nie (there are two apostrophes in the lower left of the word, Yinjin) Learning", Shi Tao's "one painting" theory and the spirit of Chinese calligraphy and painting art. In the appendix of the book, we can see Zhou Ruchang's examination of the chronology of Ouyang's "Emperor Fujun Stele", his interpretation of Sun Guoting's "Book Genealogy", and the correspondence with Yuan Dianyong discussing calligraphy.
Delve into calligraphy theory with the attitude of examination and evidence learning
Question the long-standing ideas in the study of calligraphy and calligraphy theory: Must it be "centered" to write? What is the essence of "Hidden Front"? Was the "Eight Laws of Yongzi" created by Wang Xi? What kind of book is "eternal"? What does it mean to be "flattered" in a calligraphy review? "Lan Ting Preface" version which is strong... Zhou Ruchang studied calligraphy theory with the attitude of examination and evidence, looked for the root causes, questioned the traditional outdated views, corrected the long-standing fallacies, and pointed out the direction of calligraphy.
Since its first publication in 2001, the Eight Laws of Yongzi have launched new editions in 2006 and 2015, and this is the fourth edition. The new edition has made a comprehensive revision of the text content, replaced some of the works and pictures, and added two important articles. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of publication, the paperback was upgraded to hardcover, with a separate volume of the "Broken Poster Collection" (a selection of the calligraphy inscriptions and tablets treasured by Zhou Ruchang during his lifetime) and five single-page drawings (Zhou Ruchang's back to the Orchid Pavilion Preface, and Xu Bangda, Qi Gong, and Wang Xuezhong's inscriptions).
◎ About the author
Zhou Ruchang (1918-2012), a red scholar, classical literature researcher, poet and calligrapher, is known as the contemporary "red scholar". Born in Tianjin in 1918, he graduated from Yenching University with a bachelor's degree in Spanish language and a graduate school of the Department of Chinese. He has served as a part-time faculty member of the Department of Foreign Chinese Languages and Literature of Yenching University, a lecturer of the Department of Foreign Languages of West China University and Sichuan University, an editor of the People's Literature Publishing House, and a lifelong researcher of the China Academy of Arts. He has published more than 40 academic treatises, including Red Studies, Theory of Chinese Literature and Art, Poetry Appreciation, calligraphy, etc. He loved calligraphy since he was a child, and when he was in college, he was intoxicated with calligraphy practice, collected and studied inscriptions, and worked hard in the field of calligraphy, and had close contacts with Qi Gong, Xu Bangda, Zhang Boju, etc., especially studying Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, and authored "Yongzi Eight Laws - Lecture Notes on Calligraphy Art" and "Lanting Autumn Night Record".
Text/Guangzhou Daily, New Flower City Reporter: Sun Jun
Photo/ Guangzhou Daily, New Flower City Reporter: Sun Jun
Video/Guangzhou Daily, New Flower City Reporter: Sun Jun
Guangzhou Daily Xinhuacheng editor Dai Yujing