Studies On Fang Shuo’s Calligraphy Thought

This thesis regards Fang Shuo as a case to present his calligraphy concepts.Fang Shuo,was born in the twenty-first year of Jiaqing period in the Qing dynasty(1816)and died in July in the second year of Guangxu(1876).Relying on support from the director(Hua Wending),he was promoted to the governor.Without real power,he was served in Shandong Province,then worked in Jiangsu Province.His influences has spread in whole China,his accomplishments in epigraphy could be seen in Three Volumes of Stone Postscript in Zhenjing Hall.Fang Shuo and Deng Shiru were from Huaining county of Anhui province in China.Studying calligraphy from Cheng Quan and Yun Shan that were pupils of Deng Shiru,he obtained experiences so that established his own ideas of calligraphy.Due to the same enthusiasm in inscriptions on ancient bronzes as He Shaoji,Da Shuo,each of them exchanged the ideas of inscription rubbings in stone,which could be catch their influences among them.In the " dialogue in written from" with the collectors,who Fang Shuo wrote preface and postscript for them,which not only clarified artifacts and the value of rubbings,but become more famous for their communication in calligraphy.As a calligrapher and scholar,he struggled to protect the calligraphy of ancient bronzes,and would share the stone rubbings and short comments from celebrities with friends so as to exchange each other.It is indispensable requisite for him to entry into the calligraphy circle.What made Fang Shuo built his power in this circle was his outstanding ability of discriminate and appreciate in calligraphy.These are enough for him to stand in the calligraphy circle in ancient bronzes.We conclude from the method of the deduction of key words that he appraises "spirit" in calligraphy while opposed similar in form In the era of the popularity of stone inscription study,his concept of calligraphy had been affected by the thoughts of stone inscription and was presented has a great worship of Deng Shiru.He even could be regarded as the successor of epigraphy.Strong "ancient" feelings,the "ancient in official script" in calligraphy,as well as the "ancient" calligraphy aesthetic,which reflected his praise of stone inscription study.