A Study In Xianyu Shu's "Rejuvenation"

Xianyu Shu is an outstanding calligrapher of the early Yuan Dynasty. Xianyu Shu and Zhan Mengfu are both great calligraphers of the Yuan Dynasty. They were called Nan Zhao Bei Xian. But Xianyu Shu had a hard life, he lost his son in his middle years and was very poor when he was old, then died at the age of 56.He is not only good at calligraphy but also good at poetry, lyrics and collections. His achievements were highly evaluated at that time. Especially, he was recommended by Zhao Mengfu. He and Zhao Mengfu initiated the trend of Rejuvenation in the calligraphy styles. The present thesis made an in depth and detailed analysis of the ideology of Xianyu Shu's Rejuvenation calligraphy from the aspects of the presentations and causes of the Rejuvenation calligraphy style, and also the essence and significance of Rejuvenation .The thesis consists of three chapters, ten parts, and altogether 50,000 words.The introduction makes a rough introduction of the Chinese calligraphy history employing "Two Wang" as the clue. Xianyu Shu's Rejuvenation calligraphy styles continues the styles of the Jin Dynasty, revived the conventions of the Tang Dynasty, and enhanced the formation of the Rejuvenation styles of the Tang Dynasty. The first chapter mainly introduces the life of Xianyu Shu, focusing on the introduction and analysis of the representations of Xianyu Shu's masterpieces. This chapter consists of three parts, illustrating the specific presentations of Xianyu Shu's calligraphy masterpieces, three kinds of his works and his Rejuvenation calligraphy ideology.The second chapter mainly analyzes the causes of Xianyu Shu's Rejuvenation calligraphy styles. It consists of four parts, the first two parts analyzed the present causes of the Rejuvenation calligraphy styles from the overall context of the Yuan Dynasty. The last two parts expounded the historical causes of Rejuvenation calligraphy styles. The first part mainly introduces the Rejuvenation artistic trend of the Yuan Dynasty. The second part analyzed the influences on his calligraphy styles from his teachers and friends. The third part analyzes the influences from the Song Dynasty. The fourth part analyzes the influences of the Tang Dynasty. All these factors contribute to the Rejuvenation calligraphy style of Xianyu Shu.The third chapter mainly studies the essence and significance of Xianyu Shu's Rejuvenation style. The chapter contains three parts. The first part introduces the Rejuvenation trend in the calligraphy history, analyzed the Rejuvenation style of the Tang and before the Tang Dynasty, the Song and after Song Dynasty and different periods of the Yuan Dynasty. The second part analyzed the essence of Rejuvenation style of Xianyu Shu, drawing the conclusion that the essence of Rejuvenation is the conflict between the Jin and Tang Dynasty. The third part pointed out the significance of Xianyu Shu's Rejuvenation, analyzing the historic significance and the realistic significance in the present calligraphy field.