The art of calligraphy in couplets

Chinese character writing, especially the art of calligraphy, is closely related to ancient Chinese poetry, prose, couplets and the sceneries of Chinese paintings. When calligraphers create calligraphy, they often do it at the same time as poetry, articles, and songs. For example, Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface", Li Baizhi's "Up to the Balcony", Yan Zhenqing's "Nephew Memorial Manuscript" and "Struggle for Seats", Su Shi's "Han Shi Ji", Huang Tingjian's "Songfeng Pavilion Poems", etc., are the beauty of the articles, A perfect example of the beauty of poetry. As for the mutual development of calligraphy, painting, poetry and painting, there are countless examples. It's just that the comprehensive artistic expression ability of today's calligraphers and painters is far from being comparable to that of the ancients. They often only work on the writing itself, losing much of the richness of art and the extension of artistic connotation. The following is a brief discussion based on the art of couplets, an art form that is still widely used by calligraphers today, in order to see the beauty of humanity, the richness, humanity and unique spiritual value of the comprehensive beauty of calligraphy art.

The art of couplet calligraphy is the perfect combination of couplet literature and calligraphy art. The emergence and independence of couplets are inseparable from writing and decoration from the beginning. Their origins can be traced back to the couplet "New Year Na Yuqing, Jiajie Changchun" couplet written by Meng Chang in the Later Shu Dynasty. The creation of this couplet was used to make a door. Jointly used. Therefore, the beauty of couplets and calligraphy often comes from the combination of the two beauties. A good couplet goes with a good book, and a book couplet adds glory.

Couplet writing is a form of calligraphy expression commonly used by calligraphers, just like the writing on nave, banners, banners, squares, fans and album pages. Through the creation of calligraphy art, the two-dimensional couplet language image is vividly displayed in front of the world in three dimensions, so that it has both form and spirit, and has high aesthetic value. A good couplet calligraphy work must not only have the connotation support of a good couplet, but also have the appearance of good calligraphy. Lianyu borrows the charm of pen and ink from calligraphy to highlight the colorful physical beauty of Chinese characters. Calligraphy is also full of interest because of the beautiful words of Lianyu, its beautiful counterpoint, harmonious phonology, and intriguing poetic beauty, which increases its cultural heritage. . Coupled language penetrates and condenses the author's unique feelings and insights about society and life, has the artistic conception and charm of poetry, and obtains the in-depth connotation of history and humanity. Calligraphy conveys personality, temperament, and emotion with the help of the shape, strength, rhythm, and spirit of pen and ink lines, and complements the humanistic connotation displayed in the couplets. Therefore, the combination of couplets and calligraphy is a perfect match, complementing each other and complementing each other. It can even be said that couplets are an important carrier of calligraphy culture, especially modern calligraphy culture. Because of the need for writing couplets, calligraphy creation has gained great momentum. The decorative nature and artistic beauty of calligraphy promote the need for the creation of couplets. In a kind of benign interaction, the charm of Chinese couplet calligraphy culture is vividly displayed, highlighting the great influence of Chinese culture.

The art of calligraphy and couplets has been passed down from ancient times to the present. It has the following functions: adding auspiciousness, enlivening the atmosphere, providing warning and inspiration, commemorating grief, warning the world, and beautifying. Now hanging in the Daguan Tower in Kunming, Yunnan, "the first long couplet in ancient and modern times" written by Sun Beard was written by Zhao Fan, a calligrapher and couplet expert, when he was thirty-eight years old at the request of Cen Yuying, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. The calligraphy is strong and round, which is consistent with Sun Beard's Long couplets complement each other. Zhao Fan was very accomplished in calligraphy. Zongyan Zhenqing and Qian Nanyuan were deeply impressed by Nanyuan's strong and agile spirit. His brushwork and brushwork had his own style. His calligraphy was vigorous and simple, with strength yet plumpness. He was the most famous calligrapher in the Qing Dynasty. One of the four calligraphers in central Yunnan. Couplet written by Zhao Fan in the Temple of Marquis Wu: "If you can attack the heart, you will be defeated by the side. From ancient times, we have known that soldiers are not warlike; if we do not assess the situation, both leniency and severity will be wrong. Later, when we govern Shu, we need to think deeply about it." Not only are the couplets wonderful and thought-provoking, but the calligraphy is also simple, lush and majestic. Thick and strict, it is the most important thing in the world. Therefore, the "Daguan Tower Long Couplet" written by Zhao Fan and the "Gongxin Couplet" of Wuhou Temple in Chengdu, because of their perfect combination of the beauty of calligraphy and the artistic beauty of couplets, have been made into paperweights and other handicrafts by merchants in many places and widely sold. Zhao Fan's couplets and calligraphy are both excellent. His couplet creation level is high and his works are rich and numerous, which are collected in the "Jie'an Couplet Sentences and Extensions". The book "Hechao" alone contains 542 couplets. Among the famous places and historic sites in Kunming and other Yunnan, in addition to Kunming's "Long Couplet of the Grand View Tower", such as the plaques on the archway of the Golden Palace in Kunming, many of them have his handwriting. It can be said that Zhao Fan's couplet creation and calligraphy art are a model for the couplet calligraphy art in central Yunnan. During the Republic of China, Chen Rongchang, Yuan Jiagu, Zhou Zhongyue, Li Genyuan, etc. were all masters of couplets and famous calligraphers with extremely high calligraphy standards. Their creations have become the embodiment of the calligraphy style and literary style of literati.

Among contemporary Yunnan calligraphers, such as Mr. Li Qunjie, Mr. Zhou Shanfu, Mr. Zhao Yirong, and Mr. Yang Xiupin, they are all artists with high levels of poetry, calligraphy and couplet creation, reflecting their profound cultural and artistic accomplishments. Zhao Yirong wrote couplets such as: "The mountains and rivers are in my heart, and the poem is elegant; the bamboo plum blossoms are especially tall on the wall." "The water is only good, and the sea is formed below; the mountains are not dignified, but they are as high as the sky." and other study couplets; as well as scenic spots such as green lakes and seas. Xinting couplet: "A hundred acres of green ripples have been washed by the rain; the green willows around are combed by the wind." and so on. These works either contain rich life interests and unique life insights, or depict picturesque scenes and vivid images, adding luster to the three winding lands. Mr. Zhao often meets with his friends and composes calligraphy and couplets on the spot, which is full of the beauty of literati chanting. He has created many excellent works of calligraphy and couplets for colleagues in the cultural and educational circles and calligraphy couplet lovers. For example, in 1991, the Chinese Department of Yunnan Normal University organized a calligraphy teacher training class for normal schools across the province. At that time, Mr. Li Qunjie, Mr. Zhou Shanfu, Mr. Zhao Yirong, Mr. Yang Xiupin, Mr. Liu Zhengqiang, and Mr. Feng Guoyu from the Yunnan calligraphy circle all personally taught calligraphy classes. At the beginning of the class, they not only taught calligraphy skills, but also demonstrated their profound skills in poetry and couplet writing in the demonstration activities of the creative practice class. At that time, I asked Mr. Zhao Yirong to write a couplet for Mr. Zhang Dehong, who was then the director of the Chinese Department. Mr. Zhao Yirong asked me about Mr. Zhang’s main research direction. I said it was the literature of Pre-Qin and Han Dynasties. So he wrote a couplet on the spot and said: "The literature is based on the theory of success in the pre-Qin Dynasty; the learning after De Zhao shows great talents." Both the book and the couplet are excellent, and the word "Dehong" is cleverly embedded. The content of the couplet is very consistent with Professor Zhang Dehong's The intellectual orientation and character cultivation are appropriate and accurate. Time flies, and Mr. Zhang has returned to Daoshan. Looking back now, the snow and mud are like claws; the scene from that time is still in the present.

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At the same time, calligraphy culture is also connected with the spread of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Many couplets are hung in Buddhist temples, Confucian temples, and Taoist temples, explaining and spreading the spirit of Chinese culture. Their influence is often beyond the reach of ordinary textbooks. The culture of calligraphy couplets shapes the Chinese people’s outlook on life, philosophy, culture, and the world, and is a powerful weapon for the dissemination of Chinese culture and Chinese philosophical ideas.

The combination of calligraphy and poetry and couplets has not only become a tradition in Chinese culture, but is also regarded as an elegant culture in other countries in the East, such as Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asian countries and regions. way of being. For example, Mr. Xu Fancheng introduced a Japanese calligraphy exhibition held in Cologne, West Germany, in his article "Speaking of "Books"" ("Essays of Xu Fancheng·Classics Revisited", Peking University Press, June 2007). Mainly, there are a large number of calligraphy works by Japanese monks and laymen from all walks of life, and there are also some works by Chinese monks that were passed down to Japan. It shows the romantic ideal of Japanese higher cultural life, and also embodies the spiritual charm of Chinese culture and the harmonious aesthetic spirit of Chinese character culture. In the works of Japanese monks, there is a lot of talk about Zen, but they just reflect the spiritual taste of Chinese culture and the way of thinking of Chinese culture. It is very interesting that in the process of learning and inheriting the spirit of Chinese culture, Japanese culture always has to push forward one step further and reach a more refined and abstract state of thinking. Such as the cursive verse banner of Daoyi Yi (1292-1370):

A song of Wu Sheng fills the void;

The white snow in the spring, the clear clouds and the clear breeze.

Another example is the vertical scroll of Tanxi Xinliang (1301-1374): "The heart is the Buddha"; the vertical scroll of Qingyan Zongwei (1588-1661): "The pines have no color of ancient and modern times"; and Ru Yixiu Vertical scroll of Zongxian (1394-1481):

If the Dharma in the big lamp has no brilliance, who is there in Longbao Mountain today?

Thousands of years later, the descendants of the East China Sea are still chanting Xu Qing’s poems.

Wait a minute, there are different levels of calligraphy, and there is a certain gap with the level of so-called Chinese calligraphy, but the interest embodied in it is very beautiful, full of Zen, and is the spirit of Chinese culture. It shows the lightness and profoundness of Japanese monks. As for the cursive script written by Ogisheng Culai (1666-1728): "The sand in front of Huile Peak is like snow, and the moon outside the city is like frost." It is directly a Tang Dynasty poem. Xianya Qunfan (1751-1837)'s vertical scroll in running script reads: "If you don't read Donglu books, you will strive to understand the meaning from the west." They all show his understanding of the essence of Chinese culture, especially Confucian culture, in the spirit of Buddhism and Zen. As for the official script couplets of Juan Linghu (1777-1843):

The shelves are full of books, vying for admiration;

The trees are full of pines and chrysanthemums, which can be called Peng Ze's high standard.

It is a masterpiece that combines couplets and calligraphy, and is the inheritance of Chinese culture, Chinese couplet art and calligraphy cultural spirit. As for this "Japanese Calligraphy Exhibition", Chinese monks such as Lanxi Dolong (from Sichuan, 1213-1278), Wuxue Zuyuan (from Zhejiang, 1226-1286), Qingzhuo Zhengcheng (from Fujian, 1274-1339), The calligraphy works of Yishan Yining (from Zhejiang, 1247-1317), Mu'an Xingxin (from Qiongzhou, 1611-1684), Jifei Ruyi (from Fujian, 1616-1671), etc. are all available in Zhenxing cursive script, and their contents include Zen. Poems, such as Qingzhuozhengcheng's "The Master of Daye Zangzhu": "Wu and Chu have traveled all over the country, and there is no one way they can find. The golden lion under the sandalwood forest, the white cow on the grassland. The hand beats Taixu and cries. , The heart is covered with ancient wells, and it is like a young man. The fine gold of Daye is wrapped around the fingers. "There is a Zen sentence, such as the Xingxing scroll in the wooden nunnery: "There is a lot of coolness in the empty field." There is a Zen verse, which is as follows: "Sweep away the Buddhas and demons, leaving no traces, showing them all, stripping away the knots." The calligraphy is more open and legal. Some of the writings were written in China and brought to Japan, and some were written in Japan, such as Yi Ning's cursive scroll: "The cold current makes the room waist-deep and freezes the feelings of travelers in Aoshan. There was a pattering sound at the window all night, and there was no time to worry about busy things. "His calligraphy is more heavy and methodical than the Japanese's agile, clear and light works. What’s interesting is that they are all shown to Western audiences as part of a Japanese calligraphy exhibition. But from this we can see the role that the spread of calligraphy culture and the spread of the literary spirit of couplet poetry play in cultural exchanges and the shaping of cultural customs and aesthetic tastes.

The combination of calligraphy and poems, couplets, and poems enables calligraphy to add beauty to poems and achieve better dissemination; at the same time, the beauty of poems, poems, poems, couplets, and poems also complements calligraphy, enriching the aesthetic connotation of calligraphy. It enhances the humanistic spiritual connotation of calligraphy, allowing the spiritual realm and aesthetic mind of the writer and creator to be better related to the plastic art of calligraphy, creating a unique aesthetic style. Such is the case with Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface" and Yan Zhenqing's "Manuscript of Sacrifice to My Nephew". Of course, we also need to realize that when we talk about the relationship between the beauty of calligraphy and literature, not all words can establish the relationship between calligraphy and literature. Only the unique styling style and monosyllabic expression of Chinese characters are possible. . This is the uniqueness of the image of Chinese calligraphy. The art of Chinese calligraphy is cherished by neighboring countries, and our casual treatment of our own culture can also serve as a lesson to others. Bibang's efforts to shape its own culture with Chinese culture and our blindness to turn a blind eye to our rich and profound cultural traditions can also lead to conscious thinking about our culture.