Someone asked: "To learn Yan characters, first choose the "Yan Qinli Monument" or the "Magu Immortal Altar"?" "In fact, if we really delve into the world of Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy, you will find that Yan Zhenqing's real calligraphy is the greatest treasure house of calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty." In addition to his greatness, his calligraphy style is also difficult for ordinary people to reach.
If we look back at the history of calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty, you will find out how great Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy world is.
Yan Zhenqing's "Yan Qinli Monument" was erected in the fourteenth year of the Tang Dynasty (779) in the last year of the Tang Dynasty
The calligraphy of the Tang Dynasty was divided into two major stages: the early Tang Dynasty and the Sheng Tang Dynasty. These two stages are the cornerstones of modern Chinese calligraphy and the symbol of the establishment and perfection of the calligraphy system of the Tang Dynasty. The reason why Tang Dynasty calligraphy profoundly influenced the last stage of the Chinese character calligraphy system: Kaishu, is precisely because the Tang Dynasty's calligraphy system was complete and rigorously perfected.
The early Tang Dynasty was the formation stage of Calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty, which summarized Wang Xizhi's calligraphy system and the advantages of Wei Bei, and initially formed the two major systems of Ouyang Qing and Yu Shinan.
Why? Because emperor Taizong of the early Tang Dynasty advocated Wang Xizhi's calligraphy system, and Yu Shinan was the direct descendant of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy system.
Yu Shinan was the direct teacher of Chu Suiliang, one of the Four Families of the Early Tang Dynasty, and also the indirect teacher of Xue Ji. Therefore, Yu Shinan's calligraphy faction had a major impact on the direction of calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty.
Yan Zhenqing's "Monument to the Yan Family Temple"
The foundation of early Tang calligraphy was laid by Yu Shinan, who was also the founder of Tang Dynasty calligraphy.
Later, the mainstream of calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty was the mainstream of calligraphy cultivated by Yu Shinan.
Of course, the Tang Dynasty was very tolerant, and did not exclude other calligraphy styles because Tang Taizong advocated Wang Xizhi's calligraphy.
For example, the calligrapher Ouyang Tong of the Later Wu Dynasty was the fourth son of Ouyang Yuan, and Ouyang Tong and Ouyang Yuan lived for only a few years before they died.
However, Ouyang Tong's birth mother, Xu Shi, personally guided Ouyang Tong to learn Ouyang Tong's calligraphy, and as a result, the calligraphy learned by Ouyang Tong was very different from Wang Xizhi's calligraphy style. Moreover, Ouyang Tong's calligraphy style was closer to Wei Bei's style than that of his father Ouyang Yuan. However, Ouyang Tong was still highly valued by the imperial court because of his calligraphy, which shows that the calligraphy of the Tang Dynasty was very inclusive.
Yan Zhenqing wrote in the Tang Dynasty's "Records of the Immortal Altar of Magu" in the sixth year of the Tang Dynasty (771)
However, it seems that the fate of the Tang Dynasty is destined not to become more and more colorful calligraphy, but to become more and more unified, so that the difference in calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty will become smaller and smaller. That is to say, personal style is not more and more diverse, but more and more homogeneous unity.
In the process of homogenization of calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty, Ouyang Que also occupied a place, so he was also one of the four masters of the early Tang Dynasty.
Let's look at the list of the four people (note that it is not ranked): Ouyang Qian, Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang, and Xue Ji.
None of these four calligraphy gods were tacky. However, we see that of these four people, the calligraphy of three of them is closest to the style of the second king, for example, Xue Ji is closer to wang Xianzhi. Only Ouyang Qing was slightly more distant from the Erwang and was the closest calligrapher to the Weibei style.
We now answer the question of learning Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy.
Yan Zhenqing studied the calligraphy of Chu Suiliang in his early years, and he was a young man after the Wu Dynasty, mainly in the first year of Tang Xuanzong's reign.
Yan Zhenqing's early calligraphy "Wang Lin's Epitaph" was not out of the style of Chu Suiliang
The Wuhou era to the Kaiyuan era was the era when Wang Xizhi's calligraphy was most worshipped.
Therefore, it is not surprising that Yan Zhenqing studied the calligraphy of Chu Suiliang, a descendant of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy system.
However, after entering middle age, Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy vision greatly exceeded that of any calligrapher of his contemporaries. This is mainly reflected in his extensive study of the art of calligraphy.
The brick book ink "Bai Xiuzheng Epitaph" of the ninth year of Tang Xuanzong's kaiyuan was deeply influenced by Wang Xizhi's "Orchid Pavilion Preface"
According to my research, Yan Zhenqing has done a very extensive study of calligraphy.
The calligraphy he dabbled in includes Lishu, Weibei, and Seal Calligraphy, and Lishu Weibei is a calligraphy that Tang Dynasty calligraphers have long been away from.
For example, Yan Zhenqing's contemporary calligraphy friend Xu Hao also studied Lishu, but his Achievements in Lishu were very limited.
Tan Yanmin's copy of the "Records of the Immortal Altar of Magu"
Now, although we have not found Yan Zhenqing's Lishu works, there are more and more Lishu elements in Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy, which is very clear to everyone.
Then, specific to the works "Yan Qinli Monument" and "Magu Xian Tanji", it is obvious that the artistic nutrition of lishu integrated into the works is the same, so the artistic texture of calligraphy is also similar.
If we specialize in Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy, we should have a certain understanding of Yan Zhenqing's calligrapher Chengcheng and his broad artistic trade-offs, and only then will we find Yan Zhenqing's artistic exploration path.
The Records of the Immortal Altar of Magu and the Monument of Yan Qinli are both masterpieces of the peak stage of Yan Zhenqing's later period of calligraphy. It was also written by Emperor Dali of the Tang Dynasty. However, the "Records of the Immortal Altar of Magu" was written in the sixth year of the Great Calendar (771), and the "Yan Qinli Monument" was written in 779 AD, the last year of the Great Calendar, a time difference of 8 years.
In the past eight years, we have watched Yan Zhenqing's "Yan Qinli Monument", and in Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy system, there is more of a tall and thin temperament.
If we compare the Yan Qinli Monument with the Magu Immortal Altar, it is generally within a style.
These two calligraphy works are more implicitly reflecting Yan Zhenqing's temperament. It is less exposed and strong, and it does not use the pure and bright beauty of the early years. Instead, the needle is hidden in the cotton, which seems to be soft and rigid, and the fierceness is fierce on the string but the arrow is not fired.
For example, the individual brushwork in the "Records of the Immortal Altar of Magu" is directly the brushwork of the Lishu, which is not seen in Yan Zhenqing's previous works.
However, in the work "Yan Qinli Monument", a certain distance is opened from the "Magu Immortal Altar", mainly in the knot, which appears to be thin and elongated, and visually gives people a refreshing texture.
Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy has always maintained the knot body of the Fang Pavilion. The knots that include the Magu Immortal Altar are generally Fang Ting's. However, the "Yan Qinli Monument" changed the Fang Pavilion to a towering and healthy.
In addition, the penmanship of "Yan Qinli Monument" is more simple than that of "Magu Immortal Altar", and it seems to have a more pure and pure side.
However, there is no difference between the pen used in the bones and the multi-seal pen meaning of the "Magu Immortal Altar". Therefore, my opinion is that there is not much difference between choosing "Magu Immortal Altar" and choosing "Yan Qinli Monument".
If you like the knot body to be straight and healthy, choose "Yan Qinli Monument", if you like the knot body of the well-proportioned square pavilion, choose "Magu Immortal Altar".
The biggest problem in studying these two posters is that it is more difficult to compare with Yan Zhenqing's early masterpiece "Many Pagodas".
Because, "Many Pagodas" is a pure calligraphy system. The "Records of the Immortal Altars of Magu" and the "Yan Qinli Monument" are more involved in the seal writing. Many people follow the intention of the book to learn Yan Zhenqing's "Magu Immortal Altar" and "Yan Qinli Monument", then they can only learn the fat and godless.
Especially friends who do not have many calligraphy posts, it is difficult to appreciate yan Zhenqing's penmanship.
From the outside, "Yan Qinli Monument" is easier to capture the characteristics, but Yan Zhenqing's seal writing does require us to have a certain understanding in order to write the brilliance of Yan Zhenqing's works in his later years.
2022.4.25 issued