Chapter 15 Section 2 The Artistic Beauty of Various Scripts in Xiaozhuan

Xiaozhuan is already a standardized font, which is the inevitable result of the continuous standardization of Dazhuan.After the unification, the writing will not change much, but in fact, each person is still one, different from each other. Even if it is done by the same person, the time, place, and situation are different, and they are not consistent.Although the inscriptions on Mount Tai and the inscriptions on Langya were both made by Li Si, they are quite different.They are all neat and rigorous. The pens used for carving stones in Langya are thick and heavy, and the strokes are centered and thoughtful.

As for the imperial edict, it is not as solemn and calm as stone carving, but it is carved in a hurry, and it is easier to see the temperament.The characters are of different sizes, long and flat, staggered, with ups and downs, and the meaning is born with emotion, showing a natural and simple taste, which shows the author's ingenious thinking. (figure 2) The small seal script of "Tong Jialiang Ming" written by Xinmang during the Han Dynasty is extremely regular, with slender and strong strokes, and slender knots. It is dense, but from the style point of view, it seems to be strict and powerful. (image 3)

In the "Han Situ Yuan An Stele" and "Han Situ Yuan Chang Stele" in the Eastern Han Dynasty, An is the father and Chang is his son. The characters on the two steles are both in Xiaozhuan. Some people think that they were written by one person.But as far as the style of the book is concerned, although the style is very similar, they are not the same. The characters in "Yuan An Stele" are relatively complete, with broad knots and thin strokes, but the body is strong and vigorous, and the knotted characters are white and even, and there is a tendency to fly in the regularity. The characters in "Yuan Chang Stele" are round and plump in strokes, soft and slow in the middle, and peaceful in style, showing a slightly square turn in the middle of the turn.This posture is often seen in the forehead of the stele.The concluding characters are graceful and graceful, and the brushstrokes are vivid on paper, flowing and affectionate, and quite pleasant. (Fig. 4) The two monuments of "Yuan An" and "Yuan Chang" are usually used as representatives of Han seal script. It should be said that this is indeed an expansion of seal script art after Xiao Zhuan.

The "Tianfa God Prophecy Stele" in the Three Kingdoms period is still Xiaozhuan in terms of fonts. Because of its square structure, many square strokes, and square starting and square folding, it is very official.This is a very strange way of writing.Since the Qing Dynasty, there have been many people who have been involved in this to obtain changes in seal script. (Figure 5) "Monument of Chan Country", also known as "Monument of Fengchan Country" and "Monument of Tianji", commonly known as "Tuan Stele" and "Tun Monument", was passed down as Su Jianshu.Its font style is magnificent, magnanimous, and the strokes are thick and heavy. Although it is not in the state of rattling swords and crossbows, it is round, thick and extremely dignified.The characters are full of palaces and tunes, and every subtle beauty can be seen in Kuanbo, which can be said to be bloated [yong Yong] without losing its agility.It is directly related to the pattern and seal method of "Bai Wen" seal seal in later generations.

The people of the Tang Dynasty erected steles, and there are examples of their foreheads.However, it's useless, it's just a story.Li Yangbing and Qu Lingwen are the only ones who can fully appreciate the seal script of the Tang Dynasty. Li Yangbing is well versed in elementary school and has done some research on philology. He once published 30 volumes of "Shuowen".Its seal method is deeply inspired by Li Si's "Yashan Stele". It is a great seal master in the Tang Dynasty. "The Story of the New Post on the Sliding Platform" is written with rounded strokes, neat knots, rectangular shapes, correct frames, and elegant and graceful strokes.The conclusion is not based on the increase or decrease of strokes, which is obviously based on "Shuowen".

Qu Lingwen, who was born in Daizong's time, worked in ancient Chinese and seal script, and was good at Yuan Jie.There is "峿〔wu Wu〕Tai Ming" in Yangsong Mountain, Qixian County, Hunan Province. Although there is no surname of the person who signed the book, it is from the books of "浯〔wu Wu〕Xi Ming" and "(Guangxia Wu)〔wu Wu〕Ting Ming" Those who can be recruited must be made by Lingwen.The inscription is a hanging-needle seal script, drawn straight down from a jade chopsticks seal, and the thin ends are slender and straight like hanging needles.This inscription seal method is horizontal, thick, straight and thin, with broad shoulders and long legs. The brushwork is round and round, full of charm. It is quite different from Yang Bing's seal method, but similar to Xin Mangjialiang.

In the Song Dynasty, cursive flourished, and seal script had declined, but because the study of characters has not fallen, there are still people who devote themselves to research.Xu Xuan is a master in elementary school, and was ordered to preside over the revision of "Shuowen Jiezi" to correct the world's calligraphy.Today, his calligraphy and seal method are rigorous, and he copied the "Yashan Stele" in Qin Dynasty, etc., which are quite worthy of the Qin people's testimonials.Others such as the monk Mengying, Zhang Youzhi, and Chang Piao also crafted Xiaozhuan, and the calligraphy of the seal script is based on Qin Yuchao's brushwork, and the workmanship is stable and rigorous.

In the seal script of the Yuan Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu followed the ancient methods of the Qin and Han Dynasties, but there is no peculiarity.And Wu Rui [rui Rui] learned the seal method from Wuyan, and was influenced by Wei's "Three-Body Stone Classic", and also has the legacy of "Curse Chu Wen".His seal script "Thousand-Character Wen Juan" is written evenly and sharply, with a combination of rigidity and softness. The writing is casual, but it is all within the rules. In the Ming Dynasty, Xu Chu and Zhao Huanguang were famous masters of seal script.Xu Chu, a native of Jiajing period, worked in seal seals. His small seal scripts strictly followed the rules, but his brushwork was extremely strange. He used regular script to write seal scripts, which seemed to be playful in ink.His "Du Fu Qiuxing Eight Poems" can be the representative.

Zhao Huan Guang mastered seal script, and wrote "Shuowen Changjian", "Six Books Changjian" and so on.He intensively studied the seal method, and he did not follow the relics but had a new idea. He combined the "Tianxi Monument" and the cursive brushwork to form his own machine.Some people say that "grass seal" was created by him, probably because he jumped out of the old pattern of Erli (Li Si and Li Yangbing) and focused on using brushes.He vigorously pursues vivid charm, which should be influenced by the fashion of the Ming Dynasty, so the method has changed and the meaning has been expressed.The appearance of Zhao Huanguang seemed to herald the imminent revival of Zhuanli.

The outstanding achievement of the Qing Dynasty was the great prosperity of seal script and official script, which not only had a certain artistic height in seal script, but also had an unprecedented number of authors, and their styles were different, and each had its own number. Wang Shu's seal script is dignified and mellow, with neat and dignified characters and strict rules.Although the strokes are slender, the strokes are restrained.Although it originated from Li Si and Li Yangbing, it is not restricted by others, and it rarely has the habit of carving. Dong Bangda's seal script does not draw the pen down, and the characters are square and solemn, especially good at writing with dry brush, so there is a sense of sincerity.

Huangshugu's seal script also seeks to be square and graceful, with small changes in the composition of the characters, which is intentional, and it is inevitable that there is a tendency to be overly carved and ingenious. Deng Shiru's calligraphy is refined in four styles, and he has unique attainments in seal script. His calligraphy is vigorous and majestic, fluent and fresh. He takes Qin as his ancestor, blends the charm of seal script on Han steles, and also draws on seal script in Tang and Song Dynasties. The body is strict and tidy, which is really everyone's handwriting, which is beyond the reach of others. (Figure 6) Qian Qian [diandian] is good at iron-line seal method, and has a lot of research on philology.In his later years, the right body was dry, and the left hand was also very impressive in seal script.The critics have both praise and praise, but they are very conceited.From an objective point of view, the methods of the Tang and Song Dynasties are mostly used, and the Chinese seal characters are adopted, and the layout of the characters is always new.Although there is not much expansion, it can be prepared after all. (Figure 7) Sun Xingyan was a famous Confucian classicist, collationist, and epigrapher in the Qing Dynasty, and his writings were extremely rich.Some people think that since he has accumulated a lot of knowledge, he must be limited by the old methods and cannot create new ideas, but some people disagree with this.Its seal script is leisurely, elegant and elegant, adhering to the authenticity of euphemism, neat structure, soft and firm strokes. Wu Xizai was Bao Shichen's apprentice and seal carver Deng Shiru.Proficient in elementary school, good at all kinds of calligraphy, especially seal cutting.Its seal script can not only pass on the teacher's method, but also can form its own face, which is quite respected by later generations. Yang Yisun's seal name is very famous, he has been studied in Jinshi exegesis, and he is the author of "Writing Explanation and Questioning Errors".He blended seal scripts, big and small, and his writing not only has the charm of a scholar's writing, but also the skill of a calligrapher, with strict rules and regulations, but also full of ancient and clumsy elegance, so he has become a family of his own. (Figure 8) Deng Shiru, Zhao Zhiqian's seal script master, absorbed the ancient law and modern meaning, melted it, and formed a family of his own.The pen is comfortable and unrestrained, lively, dignified, square and round, especially thanks to the seal inscription on the Han stele.It is a pity that I have a little habit of writing books, and my vertical pens are long, or my pens are pretentious, but I have not yet been able to get rid of the vulgarity. Wu Dacheng (cheng Cheng) was a well-known epigrapher in the late Qing Dynasty. He was diligent and diligent. He especially liked to write big seal scripts, and all of them used small seal scripts.It cannot be denied that he was a master of seal script in the Qing Dynasty. Xu Sangeng is good at seal script, and his style cannot be free from vulgarity. It's not everyone's standard, but it's still one of a kind. There were also Hong Liangji, Zhang Tingji, Zhu Weibi, Xu Tongbai, Zhao Zhichen, Chen Chao, Chen Jieqi, Wu Zi and others who were capable of seal script in the Qing Dynasty. They have no outstanding characteristics, so they are not listed.