The Study Of The Concept Of "Retro" In Calligraphy Of The Yuan Dynasty

The object of this paper is the concept of ‘retro’ in calligraphy of the Yuan dynasty,which,as the first great unification dynasty in Chinese history ruled by a non-Han regime,brought about a conflict between nationalities,cultures and ideas that had never been seen before.Under such a social background,the group of calligraphers in the Yuan Dynasty carried out a ‘retro’ movement which was unprecedented in the history of Chinese calligraphy.Almost the entire group of calligraphers in the Yuan Dynasty was influenced by the concept of ‘retro’,of which Mengfu Zhao and Weizhen Yang were the typical representatives.The body of the paper consists of four chapters in addition to the introduction,conclusion,and appendices.In the first chapter,the author intends to sort out the special historical period of the Yuan dynasty and the problems that calligraphy faced during this period,and then to explain the prerequisites for the construction of the concept of ‘retro’ in the Yuan dynasty.In the second and third chapters,based on the dual perspectives of Mengfu Zhao and Weizhen Yang,the author dismantles their concepts of ‘retro’ from various aspects,as well as two calligraphic clues that are similar to their ‘retro’ ideas.In the fourth chapter,the author summaries the ‘retro’ concept of Yuan calligraphy represented by Mengfu Zhao and Weizhen Yang from the perspective of dialectics.Firstly,through the analysis and study of Mengfu’s calligraphy theories and works,this paper concludes that his concept of ‘retro’ was oriented towards the ‘Jin and Tang’periods,with ‘Wang Xizhi’s and Wang Xianzhi’s’ styles of writing as the standard,with the attitude of ‘neutral and peaceful’ as a model,and the spirit of his ‘retro’ continued the legacy of traditional Chinese literati calligraphy.In exploring the concept of ‘retro’ in Weizhen’s calligraphy,the author begins with his life and discusses the formation and orientation of his literary thought,and concludes that he advocated ‘retro’,‘sentimentality’,and ‘nature’.On this basis,his writing practice is divided into three phases to be analysed and interpreted one by one,to complete the full interpretation of Weizhen’s concept of‘retro’.Secondly,in this article,the author proposes a way for Mengfu to put the idea of‘retro’ into practice.Mengfu practised the concept of ‘retro’ calligraphy in concrete ways such as brushwork and learning styles,and the comprehensiveness and limitations of Mengfu’s concept of ‘retro’ also bring about thoughts and reflections on current calligraphy practice and theoretical research.The author also puts forward the spiritual‘retro’ approach of Weizhen,trying his best to get out of the constraints of form,opposing the pretentious imitation,and taking the spirit,the emotion,the nature,and the self as the ultimate ideals of the retro calligraphy.The positive meaning and the limitations of Weizhen’s concept of ‘retro’ are important issues that need to be investigated to balance the expression of individuality and the traditional norms of the Chinese calligraphic art.Finally,by exploring the construction and dialectical unity of the concept of ‘retro’ in calligraphy between Mengfu Zhao and Weizhen Yang,the author analyses and interprets the differences and similarities among them,which involve the derivation and elaboration of concepts such as the subject of practice and ideology,the ancient and the modern,and the determinism of personalities,etc.In the end,the author summarises the multiple meanings of the concept of ‘retro’ in Yuan dynasty calligraphy and concludes and reflects on the connotations of the concept of ‘retro’ in Yuan dynasty calligraphy in terms of method,text,method,approach,culture and thought.