The eighth issue of Zhao Mengfu high-definition calligraphy in the Yuan Dynasty: appreciation of the paper book "Table of Teachers"
【Trivia】
The retro idea of "expensive with ancient meaning":
(i) About "Vintage"
"Noble has ancient meaning", originally from painting, Zhao Mengfu put forward the "ancient style" in "Self-Trek Picture Scroll", believing that painting creation should be based on the meaning of the Jin Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty, get rid of the Song Dynasty painting Chen Chen Xiangyin, graceful painting style, and advocate a simple and natural, simple and free painting style. Regarding the interpretation of "ancient meaning", researchers mainly have three views: "regarded as a concept of time", "regarded as an aesthetic concept", and "equivalent to tradition". However, "calligraphy and painting are of the same origin", and Zhao Shi proposed that "calligraphy and painting are the same", and also "painting with books" and committed to practice, so it can be used to discuss calligraphy.
What is ancient? Yu Gong's "On the Book Table" said that the ancient simplicity and now the beauty of the yan, this is the law of the development of things; Loving beauty and despising simplicity is a common human feeling, and Zhong Zhang can be said to be quaint compared to the second king. This is a review of the calligraphy of Zhong Xuan, Zhang Zhi and Erwang, from which it can be seen that "ancient" and "qualitative", "present" correspond to "Yan", but each font is both qualitative and Yan, but the emphasis or quantity is different. "Gu" focuses more on "simplicity and innocence" between "quality" and "Yan".
(2) Propose the background of the "retro" book era
During the Southern Song Dynasty, it was ruled by ethnic minorities, lacking the tradition of Hanmo and the division of the land, so it was impossible to be creative in culture and art, and the book world was still ruled by Su, Huang and Mi.
Therefore, Southern Song Dynasty calligraphy became the last stream of Shangyi calligraphy, and the wei and Jin ancient laws were almost interrupted by the southern Song Dynasty, so it became Zhao Mengshun's personal pursuit to repeat the ancient laws of Wei and Jin, and it was also the mission of the times. In the Southern Song Dynasty, the calligraphy of the "Song Four Houses" was still strangely interesting, the Jin Dynasty Kyoto was also a rough and wanton style of writing, and the style of Wei and Jin was swept away.
(3) Zhao's "retro" characteristics
1. The breadth and comprehensiveness of "retro".
Zhao Mengfu's position in the history of Yuan Dynasty art is very important, proficient in poetry, calligraphy, painting, music, seal carving, etc., all show a strong retro tendency, and for calligraphy, "Yuan Shi Zhao Mengfu Biography" has recorded, he is good at seal, Li, Zhen, Xing, cursive, especially known for calligraphy, xingshu.
2. Take the law as it should be.
Song Lian of the Ming Dynasty said of Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy that his calligraphy was varied, first copying Siling, later borrowing from Zhong Xuan, Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, and finally drawing on the characteristics of Li Yong's calligraphy. Take the "two kings" classic for many and work hardest.
3. Transform by means of the middle way of "allowing to cling to the middle".
Zhao Mengfu's aesthetic ideology of transforming the style of Zhujia calligraphy is based on "neutralization". The stylistic characteristics of each writer are neither deliberately strengthened nor highlighted, nor arbitrarily weakened. The "Two Kings" and other Wei and Jin calligraphy styles are unbridled and naïve, the strokes contain rhymes and are full of changes, the structure is neat and uneven out of accident but returned to the intention, and the strokes and lines are rich in a strong sense of rhythm and rhythmic beauty. And Zhao Mengfu did not fully accept this, not blindly "zegu", but according to his own understanding to make trade-offs.
(Excerpt from: "A Brief Discussion on Zhao Mengfu's Retro Thought" 丨 Author: Sun Kebin)
