Calligraphy & Painting
Pictograph
Four treasures of the study writing brush ink stick paper ink slab
The art of lines It stresses the overall layout and harmony between characters and lines. 56 strokes 书法之妙 “ 狡兔暴骇， 将奔未驰 ” 疾：用笔的畅快 飞动之势 涩：运笔之迟缓 顿挫之功
Oracle bone inscription
The Bronze Inscription 钟鼎文 Time: The Shang Zhou dynasties The scripts were engraved on the bronze vessels
The Small Seal Script Time: the Qin Dynasty the simplified form (unified by Li Si) more legible and easier to write engrave inscriptions on stones;
The Seal Script ( 篆书 ) Soft lines of strokes and upright rectangular shape Each of the characters has a balanced and symmetrical pattern. keep the seal form characters more close to pictograph.
The Official/Clerical Script 隶书 It was the turning point in the evolution of Chinese scripts and is the foundation of the later script forms. It turned the remaining curved and round strokes of the seal form into linear and flat square shapes.
The cursive script ( 草书 ) It is smooth and lively with strokes flowing and characters linking together. The characters are often joined, with the last stroke of one merging into the initial stroke of the next. It is executed freely and rapidly so that parts of the characters appear exaggerated
The Regular Script The Standard Script 楷书 Time: the Three Kingdoms Period (Wei) It is today’s standard writing It is square in form, and non-cursive in strokes
The Semi-cursive Script The Running Script 行书 It is somewhere between the regular and the cursive forms allowing simpler and faster writing. the running regular form 行楷 the running cursive form 行草
Wang Xizhi “Sage Calligrapher” The Preface to The Lanting Collection The Preface to The Lanting Collection （《兰亭集序》）
Great Calligraphers in Tang & Song dynasties Zhang Xu & Huai Su (Tang Dynasty) 颠张醉素 Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian Mi Fu & Cai Xiang (Song Dynasty) 苏黄米蔡
the Buddhist fresco painting in Dunhuang Cave The Neolithic Period
Three Categories (contents) Flower-bird painting
plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum (Four Gentlemen)
Figure painting Landscape painting
Wu Daozi (Tang) Master of Painting Gu Kaizhi Eastern Jin Dynasty
The Gongbi School Characterized by close attention to details and fine brushwork
Paint the feeling (sketching ideas) Internal spirit guides outward form Express painter’s subjective ideas and sentiments The Xieyi School