A Study On The Calligraphy Of Ni Zan

Ni Zan(1306-1374)is heralded as one of the Four Masters of the Yuan dynasty.Due to his substantial painting achievements and the high esteem in which later generations held him,his status as a painter has long been known.Despite history conferring such status upon him,the author believes that his additional status as a calligraphist has been neglected and that his calligraphy should be looked upon with a greater degree of importance.This study takes the historical approach in reviewing literature on the background of the era in which Ni Zan lived,his family background,modes of thought,social intercourse,calligraphy education,artistic concepts,and the four different periods of his artistic style.In addition,through the organization and analysis of Yuan dynasty history and Ni Zan's Qingbige Poetry Collection as well as books,commentaries,chronological biographies,research papers,journals,and anthologies written by scholars,this study is an attempt to sketch a complete picture of the history of Ni Zan's calligraphy.Furthermore,so as to provide a more comprehensive and systematic understanding of his calligraphy,this study includes an Analytical Survey of Individual Characters Written by Ni Zan compiled by the author in which Chinese characters written by Ni Zan that are usually only sporadically seen in related literature have been analyzed and categorized.In this way,the study provides a more complete exhibition of Ni Zan's ancient,tranquil,elegant style and the structure of his brushstrokes.The Analytical Survey of Individual Characters Written by Ni Zan is the most important aspect of the study.In an effort to demonstrate the value of Ni Zan's calligraphy,the author has collected a total of over 17,000 Chinese characters written by Ni Zan,each character having been analyzed,made into a digital image file,and finally inserted into the survey.This collection of his calligraphy,which is both a qualitative and quantitative improvement over existing resources,is intended to provide a completely new perspective on this well-known,yet not so completely understood,master of calligraphy.Today's technology—nearly 600 years since Ni Zan's time—has allowed for a new,comprehensive,close look at Ni Zan's work.It is the author's wish that through a systematic examination of Ni Zan's work,his status as a calligraphist that has to date been underrated will be reconsidered.Regarding the level of Ni Zan's calligraphy,the author believes that his stylistic roots can be traced back to that of the Wei and Jin dynasties,and his ancient,tranquil,elegant style is full of vigor while being gracefully refined in every aspect,even to the point of qualifying as the most superior calligraphy of the Yuan dynasty.His brushstroke method(quite unique despite being based on the same foundation as that of his contemporaries)is a fitting reflection of his independent character and manner,such that in looking at his calligraphy,it is as though one can see the demeanor of the very man himself.The author believes that Ni Zan's calligraphy is equal in excellence to that of Zhao Mengfu,and as such,the two may be referred to as "Zhao Ni."...