Study On Wang Xizhi's Hardwood Calligraphy

The indelible influence of Wang Xizhi on the later calligraphy can be found in calligraphy development,technique evolution and even the aesthetic pursuit.In the early Tang Dynasty,the emperor Li Shimin elevated Wang Xizhi to a position of “master of calligraphy” by writing a biography for him and collecting Wang's authentic work.Since then,under the influence of Li Shimin,the Tang officials inscribed the The Preface to the Holy Preach of the Tang Tripitaka Master(in Chinese called Datang-sanzang-shengjiao-xu)and Shiqi Tie,both becoming influential calligraphy work.In the Song Dynasty,Emperor Taizong ordered to inscribe Chunhuage Tie and later inscription of copybook became a trend and Wang Xizhi's work was an important part in the Song books of rubbings collection.On account of the reason that Wang Xizhi's authentic work was decreasing in the Tang Dynasty and definitely hard to get one trace in the Song Dynasty,Wang Xizhi's work collected in the books of rubbings became an study object of the later calligraphers.In the meaning time of copying and learning,the study of the books of rubbings came to be an important topic of the men of letters and calligraphers generation after generation.From Song to the Qing Dynasty,numerous scholars specialized in studying hardwood calligraphy emerged among whom Mi Fu,Huang Bosi,Gu Congyi,Wang Shu,Weng Fanggang,etc are included and they played a significant role in the forming and developing of the hardwood calligraphy.Though a thorough research was made by the then scholars,their contributions were demonstrated in the form of short comments and annotations without forming a complete system.Five parts are included in this essay which are the introduction,the three chapters serving as the main part of this essay and the conclusion.The introduction in Chapter One introduces the purpose and significance of the topic,the research development at home and abroad,the main research contents and the research methods.Chapter Two sorts out the circulation of Wang Xizhi's work at different times.since the Easter Jin Dynasty the authentic work of Wang Xizhi has been decreasing gradually and the emergence of books of rubbings in the Northern Song Dynasty played a positive role in the preserving and circulation of his work.In Chapter Three “the Work of Wang Xizhi Collected in Chunhuage Tie,Jiang Tie and Daguan Tie”,with the three books of rubbings in the Northern Dynasty as a case,according to the recent research achievements,the author the author analyzes and compares the collected work,the contents of the work and the inscribing quality included in the three books of rubbings with the hope to have a relatively comprehensive knowledge about collecting and carving situation of the books of rubbings in the Song Dynasty.In Chapter Four “Wang Xizhi's Calligraphy Style Analysis”,by referring to the extant authentic work of Wang Xizhi,the author categorizes the handwriting styles of Wang Xizhi collected in the three books of rubbings.After making a comparison,the author expects to understand the forming,transformation and developing of Wang Xi zhi's writing style.In Chapter Five,the conclusion,based on the research outcomes of this essay,the author studies Wang Xizhi's writing style in his books of rubbings from a more systematical and complete perspective,hoping to have a more thorough understanding of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy.