Wang Xizhi's seventh son, Wang Xianzhi, was also renowned as a calligrapher. In his own time, his reputation even eclipsed that of his father. By the end of the Six Dynasties period, however, Wang Xizhi was reinstated as China's foremost calligrapher, displaying what was considered to be the most classical and sophisticated style. Look at the example below of Wang Xianzhi's calligraphy and pay special attention to the way in which individual words are spaced. Can you identify a characteristic in Wang Xianzhi's writing that does not occur in that of his father? |
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Compare these two letters below, the one on the left written by Wang Xizhi and the one on the right by Wang Xianzhi. How many distinguishing features can you identify? |
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Wang Xizhi, On the Seventeenth (letter)
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Wang Xianzhi, On the Twelfth (letter)
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During the Six Dynasties period, calligraphy became an art form closely associated with the literate elite. Many members of the aristocratic class were like the Wang family, who had fled the political turbulence of the north and established new private estates in the south. The political and cultural center of the Southern Dynasties was situated in Jiankang (present-day Nanjing). The educated man developed his individual writing style as a means to express his inner self and to distinguish himself socially. The factors thought to contribute most to the maturation of a good calligrapher were his natural ability, a literary background, family connections, and exposure to a variety of written models, as the only way to master calligraphy was through practicing the major styles, basing innovations firmly on previous examples. |
Because of the political division of north and south during the Six Dynasties period, a very different type of calligraphy flourished in the north. Almost all examples that exist today come in the form of memorial writings on stone tablets or steles. What script type is used in this example of a memorial stele? |
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Inscription on a memorial stele, Northern Wei dynasty
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What qualities of this writing style do you think people considered especially apt for this particular purpose? |
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During this period as well, important texts like the Confucian Classics and the Buddhist canon were engraved on the rock faces of sacred mountains like Mount Tai. Colossal in size, these writings make use of highly simplified character shapes. What do you think were the benefits of sponsoring such a project? Who would possess the resources and authority to do so? |
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Throughout the Six Dynasties period, educated individuals practiced calligraphy in the style of the two Wangs. Compare the following cursive script example by Wang Zhi, a later generation Wang-style calligrapher, with the letters of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi that we have compared above. |
Which of the two Wangs do you think had the most influence on this particular calligrapher? Why? |
Wang Zhi (Southern Qi), Letter beginning "One day, without spirit..." |
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Move on to Tang Dynasty Calligraphy |