Page 43 - 2020 December 2 Christie's Hong Kong Classical Paintings and Calligrahy

Expressing One’s Character & Soul:

Calligraphy From Mid-Ming To

Early Qing

獨抒性靈：明中至清初書法述略

After mid-Ming dynasty, the trend in calligraphy began to move away from the Taigeti (a
type of standard script that resembles the woodblock-printed book script) and into more
individualized styles, where calligraphers expressed their personalities, sentiments, and
skills through running and cursive scripts. If we examine the milestones in the history
of Chinese calligraphy, one could summarize that the calligraphers of the Jin favored
strength, the Tang rules, the Song ideas, and the late Ming spirit.
The second change that occurred during this period was in format, as monumental
hanging scrolls gradually replaced handscrolls and album leaves. This shift can be observed
in the handscroll by Zhu Yunming (Lot 852) of the mid-Ming and the hanging scrolls
by Wang Duo (Lots 855 and 865) and Fu Shan (Lots 856 and 866) in the late Ming and
early Qing period. This dramatic change required the calligraphers to adopt new medium,
scripts, compositional structures, writing techniques, and rhythms in hand movement.

Thirdly, the calligraphers of the late Ming sought to express the whimsy of the effects of
dry, wet, light, and dark ink through varying the proportion of ink and water as well as
changing the speed of brush movement. Such aesthetics can be observed in the works by
Feng Fang (Lot 853), Chen Jiru (Lot 854), Wang Duo, and Fu Shan.
While works by these four calligraphers evince these general characteristics, they also possess
highly distinctive qualities simultaneously. Feng Fang liked to put pressure in the center of a
drying brush and to make his transition between brushstrokes light and smooth. In his early
years, Chen Jiru emulated the rectangular shape of Su Shi’s calligraphy, but transitioned into
following the lithe style of Mi Fu later in his life. Wang Duo paid homage to seal and clerical
scripts through his thick lines and solid structure of the characters. Fu Shan emphasized
continuous curves with minimum angularity. All four might have expressed their spirits
differently, yet they shared the same underlying philosophy when crafting their art.
明代中期以後，書壇走出臺閣體的籠罩，書家進入抒發性靈的時代。以真書應制，以
行、草書表現才氣、個性，似乎形成此一時代的標誌。審視書法史，晉人尚勢，唐人尚
法，宋人尚意，那麼這個時期明人書法的特點是尚性靈。
其次，是書法從卷、冊到巨幅掛軸的改變。如祝允明《桑寄生傳》（拍品編號852）仍
然保持明中期手卷書寫樣式，到了明末清初王鐸（拍品編號855、865）、傅山（拍品編
號856、866）的時候，書寫空間產生了巨大的變化，這就意味書法家對於材料、書體、
結構、章法、用筆技巧、書寫節奏等，各方面都需要重新調整、掌握。

第三，書法家喜歡利用水與墨的比例和書寫的速度，表現乾、濕、濃、淡、枯等墨韻趣
味。這種墨韻審美的趣味，需要書法家對於水、墨和材料的深入掌握。本拍賣呈現的豐
坊（拍品編號853）、陳繼儒（拍品編號854）、王鐸和傅山作品，皆具此一方面的審美
傾向。
審視此次豐坊、陳繼儒、王鐸、傅山等名家這批作品除了在性靈、空間感、墨韻等具
共同性外，又因應書法家個人審美認知的異同，在書體面貌上表現各異。豐坊《草書
七言詩》（拍品編號853）中鋒用筆，轉折輕靈，但是好用枯筆，除“啼”、“歸”二
字外，字距基本表現均勻，可見其空間控制能力穩定。陳繼儒早年學蘇軾書體，字呈扁
方形，晚年學米芾轉為瘦長，此軸《行書》（拍品編號854）字體大小、線條粗細略有
變化，而字形較長，應屬晚歲作品。王鐸《行草平生詩》及《行草五言律》（拍品編號
855、865）兩件書法皆為巨幅綾本，取篆隸厚重筆意，結構凝重雄渾，字緊行鬆，字與
字之間的筆絲較粗，形成特點，而其漲墨特色亦尤見於《平生》詩中。傅山《草書七
言詩》與《草書七絕》（拍品編號856、866）整體遒勁純厚，用筆以圓渾為主，轉折較
少，字距緊密，若不假思索信筆而書，符合其“寧拙毋巧，寧丑毋媚、寧支離毋輕滑，
寧真率毋安排”的美學認知。四人時代雖有差距，在書法層面共同特徵明顯，而個性與
審美認知則為同中異趣了。
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