A Study On Wu Kuan’s Calligraphic Thoughts

Owing to the influence of the return-to-the-ancients tendency as well as the intervention of imperial power, there formed a kind of monotonous, mediocre and tasteless Taige Ti (secretariat calligraphic style) which restrained the development of calligraphy at the initial stage of Ming Dynasty. The emergence of Wu Men Calligraphy School during the middle period of Ming Dynasty broke the rigid pattern and facilitated the inheritance and innovation of literati calligraphy. During the period painting and calligraphy literati in Wu zhong such as Wu Kuan etc. made great contribution to the change. The thesis firstly makes a comprehensive and focused articulation on Wu Kuan’s social intercourse in Wuzhong to manifest vividly the contact between Wu Kuan and other literati in Wuzhong through focusing on the calligraphic preface and postscript to Paoweng Home Collected Works. Secondly, it elaborates Wu Kuan’s calligraphic preface and postscript per se, manifesting the features of the model calligraphy and rubbings from stone inscriptions that Wu Kuan came into contact with. On the basis of the above-mentioned elaboration, the thesis makes an analysis on Wu Kuan’s calligraphic thoughts. Wu Kuan’s calligraphic thoughts inherited calligraphers in Song and Yuan Dynasty; on the other hand it had its own limitations. The thesis tries to make an objective and concrete observation on Wu Kuan’s calligraphic thoughts and to manifest his pioneering and innovative significance in the development of calligraphy during the middle and preliminary stage of Ming Dynasty as a leading figure of "Wu Men Calligraphy School"...