Chapter 17 Section 4: The Artistic Beauty of Regular Script in Various Styles

Regular script started from the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms, Wei and Jin Dynasties, until it was finalized in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and reached its acme in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.And since it has been well-organized, it seems that it is not easy to express its individuality, and it seems that no more beautiful art can appear, but it is also charming and charming, each with its own charm.Here are the typical examples of past dynasties: The "Declaration Table", Chuan Zhongyou's script, and small script, this should be the initial form, and it has improved compared with the "Liming Table" mentioned in the previous chapter.

"Huang Ting Jing", Wang Xizhi's book, lower case.Judging from the use of pens and knotted characters, they have all been freed from the official meaning, and have the scale of regular script, which has made considerable progress. "The epitaph of Wang Xingzhi's couple", engraved in the fourth year of Yonghe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 348), this should be the earliest form of a slightly larger regular script. The official script has not been completely removed, but it is already an official script. "Thirteen Lines of Luoshen Fu", the book of Wang Xian of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, lower case.Strange and beautiful, like a yushu facing the wind, swaying with emotion; beautiful and beautiful, like a beauty's condensed dew, moisturizing the face and showing flowers.There is no such thing as a small script that wins with emotion.Compared with his father's Xizhi, it seems to have developed again.

The full name of "Cuanbaozi Stele" is "Jin Zhenwei General Jianning Prefect Cuanbaozi Stele", which was discovered in the 43rd year of Qianlong in Qing Dynasty (AD 1778) in Yangqitian, south of Qujing City, Yunnan Province.This stele is majestic, sharp and strong, majestic, dignified and rough, naive and ingenious.This should be the prototype of southern regular script. (Fig. 17) And then to "Cuan Longyan Monument", the style of regular script is a step further than that of "Bao Zi". "The Inscription of Crane", which is said to be Liang Taohong's Jingshu, may have been established in the thirteenth year of Liang Tianjian (514 A.D.).It was originally engraved on the stone wall at the west foot of Jiaoshan Mountain in Zhenjiang.In the Song Dynasty, it was struck by lightning and fell into the river, and the stone was broken into five pieces.On the back of the mountain, there are more than 30 characters in existence.His characters are like flying, his breath is Xiaoyuan and elegant, his manners are cool and elegant, and his spirit is magnificent.The style of strokes in regular script is complete.

"Diao Bigan Wen", the full name is "Emperor Xiaowen Diao Bigan Tomb Inscription", Northern Wei Dynasty, probably engraved in the eighteenth year of Taihe (AD 494), the original stone was lost for a long time, and it is now re-engraved by Song Yuanyou.Or written by Yun Cuihao.Its character is thin and strong, and its structure is square and regular.Regular script has the stone of this moment, and it is solid in the rule of law and regular script. Although there are not many scholars after that, each has his own pursuit, but this should be the orthodox style. "The Statue of the Niujiao [Juejue]", the full name is "The Statue of the Dead Niujiao by Mrs. Yuchi, Mrs. Qiu Mulingliang, King of Changle", also known as "The Statue of the King of Changle", carved in the 19th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 495).On the north wall of Guyang Cave in Longmen Mountain, Luoyang, Henan Province, it is one of the famous Longmen statues.It is the earliest inscription on Longmen statues. It has a square body and thick brushwork, dense knots, and stretches left and right, which is both crafted and varied.

"Epitaph of Concubine Li of Rencheng", full name "Epitaph of Concubine Li of Rencheng, Inspector of Wei Yongzhou", also known as "Epitaph of Concubine Li of Yuan Cheng", engraved in the second year of Jingming in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 501), in Luoyang, Henan in 1932 Unearthed in Yuancun.His characters are vigorous and sharp, and his characters are lively and natural, neat and elegant, meaningful and beautiful. "The Epitaph of Shi Wan, Jifei of the Yuan Dynasty", the full name of "The Epitaph of Mrs. Shi, the Second Concubine of Jiangyang King of Wei Shangshu", engraved in the first year of Yongping in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 452), and in Zhangyang, Luoyang, Henan Province in the first year of Xuantong in the Qing Dynasty (AD 1909) Unearthed in the village.Its characters are steep, strong and ancient, with elegant rhyme and refined rhyme.Although the strokes are scattered and natural, without carvings, they are full of interest. (Figure 18)

"Sima Yue's Epitaph", engraved in the fourth year of Yongping in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 455), was unearthed in Mengxian County, Henan Province in 1979.Its calligraphy is bright and clean, its posture is stable and graceful, and it is pleasing to the eye. It is a typical representative of the epitaph of the Northern Wei Dynasty. "The Monument of Zheng Wengong", the full name is "The Monument of Zheng Jun, the Secretary of the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Wei Dynasty, the Supervising Envoy, and the Governor of Yanzhou's Military Anton General, Yanzhou Governor, Nanyang Wengong Zheng Jun", which is said to be Zheng Daozhao's book, engraved in the fourth year of Yongping in the Northern Wei Dynasty.In Donghandong Mountain of Yunfeng Mountain in Ye County, Shandong Province, there is a cliff.It has always been believed that this stele is the most complete and the highest style, and it is a typical representative of regular script.Some people think it is a model of a round brush, but in fact it is only an impression obtained from rubbings, not a misjudgment from actually seeing the original stone.A closer examination of the original stone inscriptions shows that the main square brush is still the main one. Because it is a cliff, the inscriptions on the stone surface are in the recesses, and the vertebral extensions cannot sink, so they become round, which leads to delays.In Tianzhu Mountain, Pingdu, Shandong Province, there is also a "Zheng Wengong Shangbei", which has a slightly different style and taste, so I don't know if it was written by one person.Usually the so-called "Zheng Wengong" refers to the lower stele.

"Zhang Menglong Monument", the full name is "Lujun Taishou Zhang Fujun Qing Praise Monument", erected in the third year of Zhengguang in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 522), and the monument is located in the Confucian Temple in Qufu, Shandong.Its characters are clear and vigorous, flowing and steep, unrestrained and ancient, meaningful and elegant, and commentators believe that it is the abnormal school of orthodox style and the ultimate of Wei Bei.Self-students have noticed this, and many calligraphers have been enlightened since then, but few people can get its true meaning. (Figure 19)

The full name of "Zhang Xuan's Epitaph" is "Zhang Xuan's Epitaph, the Former Nanyang Prefect of the Wei Dynasty", also known as "Zhang Hei Nu (ru Ru) Epitaph", carved in the first year of Putai in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 531).The original stone has been lost for a long time, and only one Ming rubbing is left.There are many reprinted copies, but none of them can get its charm.Its characters are clear and elegant, with clumsy quality and sharp edge, spreading its wings left and right, looking forward and looking graceful.

"Manjusri Prajna Sutra of Culai Mountain" is a cliff in large characters. It was engraved in the first year of Wuping in the Northern Qi Dynasty (570 A.D.) in the Yingfo Rock of Culai Mountain in the south of Mount Tai, Shandong. The scriptures are now incomplete. More than 90 characters.Its characters are stretched with a brush, natural and thick, with clear lifting and pressing, smooth spreading, hidden muscles and bones, and strength in it, wide and free, moving in stillness, leaning up to the back, reflecting the front and back. "Buffalo Mountain Manjushri Prajna Sutra", stone in Ningyang Buffalo Mountain, Shandong, is also the time of the Northern Qi Dynasty.Its characters are no longer the legacy of the Yuan and Wei Dynasties, but are closely related to the characters of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, which is a kind of precursor. (Figure 20)

"The Sutra of Infinite Meaning" was engraved in stone in the Xiangtang of Gushan Mountain, Wu'an, Hebei Province, and also in the Northern Qi Dynasty.Its characters are beautiful, strong, clean and elegant, seemingly straight, but in fact they are crisp and strong, and the knots are broad and magnificent.Although it has similarities with the cliff in "Buffalo Mountain", it is more clean and healthy than it. Regular script began to transform from Sui Dynasty to Tang Dynasty.The typical representative of the Sui stele is the "Longzang Temple Stele", which was erected in the sixth year of Emperor Kaihuang's reign (586 A.D.).Its characters are light, far and quiet, and its posture is pure, but it is inconceivable that the blurred changes are in the plain and accessible.Because it is not signed, there are various conjectures based on the handwriting, or it is said to be Zhiyong, or Yongxing, but there is no conclusive evidence. (Figure 21)

In the calligraphy of the Tang Dynasty, some characters in the Yuan Wei style still exist, and the brushwork is gradually becoming new, such as "The Inscription of Jing Wan in Yunju Temple, Fangshan" (Fig. 22) and "The Monument of Dingci Temple". In the early Tang Dynasty, the characters of the various families came down from the Sui Dynasty. The meaning of the Yuan and Wei dynasties is no longer obvious. The Sui people's method is indeed more obvious. Different, there is also a big discrepancy. Although "Huangfu's Birthday Stele" was also written by Ouyang Xun, it is quite different from "Jiucheng Palace Liquan Ming".Yu Shinan's "Confucius Temple Stele" is as quiet and elegant as a virgin, with all anger dissipated, but elegant and dignified, dignified and reserved.Chu Suiliang's "Yin Fu Jing" has an ancient and light momentum, loose but not loose, sparse and reserved, with a graceful style (Figure 23). "Api [pi Pi] Tanpi Posuo Lun Volume 60" is the ink of the scriptures written by the people of the Tang Dynasty. Although the surname of the scriptures is unknown, the characters are rigorous and meticulous, elegant and vigorous, well-dressed and self-sustaining, without losing the line, and are extremely lawful. . Both "Duobao Pagoda Stele" and "Magu Fairy Altar" were written by Yan Zhenqing, but they are quite different (Figure 24).Liu Gongquan's "Mysterious Tower" is different from Yan Zhenqing's broad and dignified, but it wins with steep vigor. (Figure 25) In the Song and Yuan Dynasties, apart from Huizong Shoujin who made a new chapter in the regular script, Zhao Mengfu, who entered the Yuan Dynasty from the Song Dynasty, integrated the regular script of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and also mixed it with the Qingqu of the Jin people, forming a style that is both regular and regular. The regular script with a touch of cursive brushstrokes strives for elegance and style. Wen Zhengming's lower case script in the Ming Dynasty was based on the Jin and Tang Dynasties. It is gentle, pure and refined. The later it is, the more it traces the ancient style. After entering the Qing Dynasty, regular script was more prosperous than that of the Song and Ming Dynasties. Some people returned to seek monuments, and some people opened up new territories. Jinnong once created a whole body, which is not official or non-executive, because it has an account of the beginning and end of writing, and there is absolutely no carelessness. It can only be commensurate with regular script, but it is very innovative. Qian Feng [Feng Feng]'s regular script Quanzong Yan Zhenqing.Although the stele of Lu Gong is different, Nanyuan (Qian Feng's name) takes the law of "Duobao Pagoda", the dignifiedness of "Yanjiamiao", the broadness of "Magutan", and the pattern of "Qinli Stele", which strengthens it. The strength of strokes not only preserves the shape and spirit of Yan characters, but also integrates them. Although the method is based on Yan characters, it is not a simple inheritance. Little is known about Huang Yue, but his regular script also has its own characteristics. He writes big characters like small regular script, which has both overall bearing and subtle taste. He is heavy but not rigid, elegant but not delicate. Bao Shichen advocated the study of steles, practiced it himself, sought information from the steles of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and every time he took the edge to pursue simplicity, but he was too soft and charming, loose and weak. Zhang Yuzhao's self-supporting style of regular script is based on Ouyang Xun, and "Zhang Raptor" is integrated into it to form his characteristics of round inside and square outside, showing a graceful spirit in his strength, strength and straightness.Putting its characters into stone, it is simple and neat, square and majestic, which is quite decent. (Figure 26) Zhao Zhiqian's patriarchal method Beibei in regular script is good at absorbing and assimilating, and he also finds his own way. Therefore, his regular script knotting method is based on Wei stele, and he uses the pen to merge Tang's circle into Yuan and Wei's square folds, which is both elegant and sharp. The people in the Qing Dynasty were able to write regular scripts, not only this, but those with unique characteristics are as mentioned above. Regarding regular script, some people think that there is no temperament and no artistic interest at all. The above-mentioned examples can fully explain this prejudice.