Wu Changshuo Calligraphy Seal Cutting Fusion Research

Poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal representing an important part in Chinese traditional culture which has clear development threads respectively in our history. With the continuous development of civilisation, literators found and used the inner link among which they improved and innovated. Gradually, relationship among poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal became more close, hence, they have become the essential part of literators’cultural competence.Based on the so called "Lo Shu Square" created by philosophers in the pre Qin Dynasty, Zhang Yanyuan proposed "homology of calligraphy and painting" in Tang Dynasty, afterwards, gradually " literators began to paint ", the relationship among poetry, calligraphy and painting became more intermingled and integrated; sphragistics originated in the Song Dynasty, and then "literators began to work on seal", with its rapid development,poetry, calligraphy,painting and seal were inseparable; from Ming to Qing Dynasty, sphragistics developed rapidly, accompanied by prosperity of literators’ painting, and carving. Literators began to pay attention to learn the art nutrients from sphragistics. It has become common practice to learn from the ancient, a great many literators exploring in calligraphy creation substituted pens for knives, some also devoted themselves in seal "to purse the extra meaning out of seal", many natures of art exploration cannot separate from "integration". "Substituting pen for knife", he also wrote like casting iron, the spirit of inscriptions was presented on paper, so as to achieve the integration between pen and knife, calligraphy and seal".Wu Changshuo was a master of poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal, on the basis of "these four arts", with distinct, unique personal style and artistic charm, his art form was diffused across China and even overseas. Even now, many people are still learning from Wu’s masterpiece. The reason why he achieved high success in poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal can not absolutely separate from what he called "the most important thing was to seek connection among them ".He learned from and developed the previous the creative concept which were "seal was from the book", and "seeking extra meaning out of seal,". In addition, he integrated poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal to "express his own ideas". The most prominent feature was that the calligraphy and seal could intermingle and inter-promote with each other. Substituting knives for pens, he endowed the seal cutting with emotions and rhyme. Although it was just a small inch square stone, it could manifest his vigorous and heroic gesture; substituted pen for knife, he also "wrote like casting iron, the spirit of inscriptions was presented on paper, so as to achieve the realm of integration between pen and knife, calligraphy and seal".