Text◎Zhao Lei
Guide
The society of the late Ming Dynasty was relatively turbulent, and Wang Duo, who lived in the turbulent times of the late Ming Dynasty, experienced the great changes of the times and the ups and downs of his personal fate, and in this context, it was impossible not to have an impact on his calligraphy. The gloomy political environment, the turbulent social conditions, and the chaos brought about by the change of the Ming and Qing dynasties and the grief of the ruin of the country have undoubtedly left a deep mark on his calligraphy art. Therefore, the calligraphy expressed in his pen is not only the writing of words, but also the side expression of the chaos and bitterness of that era.
Wang Duo's calligraphy works are full of passion and struggle, reflecting his dissatisfaction with reality and his insistence on ideals. The twists, bends, ups and downs and intersperses between the strokes reveal the contradictions and conflicts in his heart.
Wang Duo was not a rigid calligrapher. He knows that the essence of calligraphy lies in learning from the ancients, but it cannot stop at the ancients. At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the book world was shrouded in the style of Zhao Mengfu and Dong Qichang. In Wang Duo's view, there was a general trend of blind imitation and vulgarity in the calligraphy world at that time, but Wang Duo found another way to break through the shackles of the times with more grotesque and wild brushwork.
On the road of pursuing the art of calligraphy, Wang Duo humbly studied and regarded copying as the only way to mastery. He devoted his life to the study of the "two kings" (referring to Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi), Yan Zhenqing, Mi Fu and other calligraphy masters of the past dynasties, absorbing its essence. Through continuous copying and thinking, he gradually built his own style on the basis of ancient methods, organically integrating the traditional art of calligraphy with personal feelings, thus achieving a unique calligraphy style.
The reason why Wang Duo was able to become a generation of calligraphy masters is precisely because he was not satisfied with just reproducing the ancient scriptures, but paid more attention to stimulating his creativity and expression by copying the ancient texts, and digging deep into the laws behind the calligraphy. Wang Duo is well aware that the true art of calligraphy should not only express the external beauty of words, but also reflect the inner spiritual world and personal attitude of the author. This Wang Duo book "to Mei Gong Li Nian Brother Letter", also known as "Bami Fu Xingshu three volumes", for Wang Duo's classic calligraphy ink, the overall style of Mi Fu is taken from Mi Fu, can be said to be a very exquisite work. (Commentary attached at the end of the article)
Xingshu ink "Letter to Mei Gong Li Nian's Brother" appreciation
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