Su Shi's Calligraphy Thought

As a most versatile poet in Northen Song Dynasty, Su Shi is not only an outstanding litterateur, thinker and politician, but also a great calligrapher and a famous painter. A main leader and the pillar of advocating 'Shangyi Calligraphy' as he is, though without any systematic theoretical monographs on calligraphy, Su Shi drived the mainstream direction in the field and had a great impact on the handwriting of the future generation. His rich and impressive idea on calligraphy appears in his inscriptions, papers, poets and various works of literature, philosophy, politics and paintings as well as in others' accounts of Su Shi' life. In this text, Su Shi's perspectives on calligraphy are the object of study. It gathers material from various sources, refreshes and explores them thoroughly and meticulously to get a complete and intensive interpretation and exposition. By analysis, a complete and clear recognition on the overall frame of his views on calligraphy and his many other important opinions was beginning to gain currency. The text is divided into seven chapters.Chapter 1, through the investigation and analysis of Su Shi's views of handwriting's function, it exposes his basic points on meaning of life and calligraphy's social role, in order to reveal the internal basis of the formation of his calligraphy ideas.Chapter 2, it systematically investigates Su Shi's understanding of the history and development of Chinese calligraphy, comprehensively discusses his distinguished achievement on the history of calligraphy and discloses the historical basis of his assertion of 'Shangyi' .Chapter 3, it focuses on Su Shi's thought of ' Shangyi' in calligraphy, elaborates the limitation of handwriting under the special historical conditions. It also expounds the ideological content of the several well-known calligraphy theoretical views of ' Shangyi' . And it points out the innovative meaning, characteristics of that era and the practical foundation of 'Shangyi' .From chapter 4 to chapter 6, it introduces Su Shi's views on the qualities and cultivations of calligraphers, the mood of writing, the elements of handwriting works and its aesthetic style. By means of analysis and interpretation on his important points and the special categories, it shows the links between Su Shi's various ideas.Chapter 7, based on the previous exposition, it briefly summarizes the main characteristics and influence of Su Shi's thought.