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Dong Qichang (1555-1636), also known as Xuan Zai, Si Bai, Si Weng, Xiang Guang, etc., was a native of Shanghai. Studying books since childhood, he did not quit for decades, the first Emperor Yan Zhenqing, Yu Shinan, and later chased Wei Jin, with the second king Ben, and after middle age, he returned to Mi Zhao. In the end, he broke away from the tradition, became a unique path, and became a family. In his later years, he advocated a plain and natural style of calligraphy, which had a profound impact on the calligraphy of later generations.
The book "Oriental Shuo Answering The Difficulty of The Guest" is a masterpiece of Dong Qichang's later years. On paper, 26 cm in length and 334 cm in width, with a silk fence, a total of 69 lines, now in the Liaoning Provincial Museum. The book was written in the first year of Ming Chongzhen (1628), when Dong Shi was 74 years old. The style is skilled, no matter the penmanship and ink law, it is like a fire and pure blue, and it has reached the high and wonderful realm of people and books.
Dong Qichang's book is natural in style, plain in the strange show, with a round and exquisite pen. Although most of the round pens are used, the bones and bones are contained, and the wonderful truth of Su Shi's calligraphy is obtained. The whole article pays attention to the chapter method, the word spacing is dense, the line spacing is sparse, and it is in harmony with the plain and frank style of the book. Good at seeking changes in the plain, line, italic, grass between each other, a natural, with ink thick and light free, thick how big words thick pen, light people are small characters thin pen, so that the whole text formed a vivid rhythm.
This work is easy to write, plain and strange, round and exquisite with the pen, and the end of the pen is really dashing and easy. In writing, he writes lightly, turns freely, uses the pen to be exquisite, there is no clumsy pen; the use of ink is also very exquisite, dry and wet, and it is wonderful.
In terms of chapters, the word spacing is dense, the line spacing is sparse, the layout is sparse and symmetrical, and it is in harmony with the plain and frank book style, with a clean and illusory spirit, ancient and loose beauty. It can be seen that Dong Qichang is good at seeking change in the plain and seeking elegance in the free, which is in line with his meaning of "getting old and becoming mature, but returning to the plain".
"Difficulty" is an ancient style pioneered by the Western Han Dynasty Oriental Shuo. According to the "Book of Han", Dongfang Shuo wrote to Emperor Wu, "Chen Nong's Plan to Fight a Strong Country", and was coldly received, so he wrote "Answering Guests Difficulty" and used it to masturbate. In the text, it is assumed that there are guests who are difficult to talk to Dongfang Shuo, and ridicule him for being humble and humble and practicing the way of the saints, and he replies. First of all, it is said that the situation of the warriors during the time of Emperor Wu was different from that of the Warring States period, and the encounters were naturally different; then it was said that self-cultivation was the duty of the scholars, and could not be different from time to time; and finally, the situation of the scholars was different from time to time. The whole article has a witty character, venting his whining emotions that he did not meet.
Dong Qichang's writing can combine his own personality and strive to follow the wind god. In this work, it is both in style, with yan Zhenqing's intentions, with a posture of mi fu on the side, and the layout is Zhao Mengfu's wind god, light and self-sufficient, reflecting a personality style.
Dong Qichang's pursuit of ancient methods embodies the natural and elegant calligraphy style, creating a weather that does not eat fireworks in the world. Reading this work is like a breeze, which is refreshing.
From the works, we can feel the wisdom and ingenuity of Dong Qichang. Kang Youwei commented on Dong Qichang's calligraphy as "like a Taoist monk". It should be known that the "Resting Grain Taoist" is also a kind of beauty that is far away from the world, quiet and serene, and quiet. Although this kind of beauty is different from the beauty of fortitude, it is also a rare realm.
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