In the ninth year of the Yonghe era (永和九年, pinyin: Yǒnghé, 345 – 357 C.E.), the year of the Yin Water Ox, under the reign of Emperor Mu of Jin (晉穆帝, pinyin Jìn Mùdì, 343 – 361C.E.), at the beginning of the third lunar month (after April 20, 353 C.E.), on the first day of the month of the serpent, fourty two literati noblemen gathered at the Orchid Pavilion in Shanyin County (山陰，pinyin: Shānyīn), in order to celebrate the Spring Purification Festival (修禊, pinyin: xiūxì). One of them was Wang … [Read more...]
Wizards of ink: 王羲之 (Wáng Xīzhī, 303 – 361). Part II
Those of you who read Part I of this article already know that 王羲之 (Wáng Xīzhī, 303–361) was quite a character. There are many amusing anecdotes about him, his life and his relatives, mainly his son Wáng Xiànzhī (王献之, 344 – 386 C.E.), who will be discussed in a separate article in the near future). I chose some of the most renowned stories and will share them with you in this part of the series of articles on this great calligrapher. Wáng Xīzhī, like many calligraphers, was absent minded, … [Read more...]
Wizards of ink: 王羲之 (Wáng Xīzhī, 303 – 361), Part I.
“He whose calligraphy could overwhelm 10,000 men”, these are the words of 刘熙载 (Liú Xīzaǐ, 1813 – 1881), a literary and art critic of the Qing dynasty 清朝 （1616 – 1636), describing the power and elegance of the calligraphy of Wáng Xīzhī. Today, Wáng Xīzhī of the Jin Dynasty (晉朝, 265 – 420 C.E.) is considered the most cherished calligrapher of all time, often referred to as the Sage of Calligraphy (書聖; Chinese: shū shèng). In Western terms, Wáng Xīzhī is to Chinese calligraphy as Michelangelo … [Read more...]