Study On Nascent Tablet Calligraphy Theory At The End Of Ming Dynasty And The Beginning Of Qing Dynasty In Jiangsu And Zhejiang Provinces

Under the pervasive impact of Dong Qichang's and Zhao Mengfu's calligraphic style,the research and studies conducted by engraving-board calligraphers on“Replacing engraving-board with Tablets” in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces at the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty has been of great significance for the establishment of the tablet calligraphers' theory in mid and late Qing Dynasty.Influenced by the pragmatic style pervading at the end of Ming Dynasty and beginning of Qing Dynasty,the inscription on bronze and stone tablets was developing rapidly.Some traditional engraving-board calligraphers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces realised that the traditional engravings such as the Attic Engravings were repeatedly reprinted,and thus they were awfully disfigured.Therefore,using engraving-board as the sole paradigm for calligraphy learning is obviously impracticable.At the same time,some calligraphers were not satisfied with the stereotyped and monotonous flowery calligraphic style initiated by Dong Qichang.In this social context,representative Jiangsu and Zhejiang calligraphers including Zheng Fu,Zhu Yizun,Chen Yixi,Yang Bin and He Zhuo gradually noticed the seal scripts inscribed in Qing Dynasty and Han Dynasty,and the calligraphy of scripts on the tablet in the Northern Dynasties when they undertook their research and studies on inscriptions on bronze and stone tablets,they acknowledged the artistic value of these inscriptions and advocated to study them.In addition,they proposed the viewpoints about the aesthetic value of the seal scripts inscribed in Qing Dynasty and Han Dynasty,and the calligraphy of scripts on the tablet from the Northern Dynasties and their significance to the history of calligraphy.These viewpoints were already somewhat similar to the viewpoints proposed by calligraphers,Ruan Yuan,in mid and late Qing Dynasty.Therefore,the end of Ming Dynasty and beginning of Qing Dynasty can be regarded as the beginning period of tablet calligraphy of Qing Dynasty.Research on tablet calligraphy theory in Jiangsu and Zhejiang can further reveal the roles that some calligraphers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang at this specific time period has played throughout the entire calligraphic history,and it can also analyse the formation and development of the tablet calligraphy theory more elaborately.