Yan Zhenqing: The Confliction And Integration Between "Confucian Orthodoxy" And "Calligraphic Tradition"

It can not be denied that the calligrapher of Yan Zhenqing preceded by Wang Xizhi influenced most on the Chinese history of calligraphy. Yan Zhenqing changed the style of Wang Xizhi's "delicacy and connotation" and created his own new style of "broadness and grandness" which was called Yan Style. Yan's loyalties and responsibilities represented in his political career as well as in "An Lushan and Shi Siming Rebellion" achieved the respect from posterity. Contrasted with the discovery of justice in his political career, the recognition of the distinctive esthetical values and the acceptance of Yan's sublime status in calligraphy were not in Tang Dynasty but in Northern Song Dynasty several hundred years later.Fixing the study on the period of three hundred years from his birth to the establishment of his position in calligraphy, the author reviews diachronic evolution of Yan Zhenqing's position in Tang Dynasty and gives answers to a series of questions unsettled by academic field for a long time , referring to the thinking modes of mobility, uncertainty and diachronism in the theories of western phenomenology and hermeneutic. The questions include the followings. Firstly, why did the unique official historic book in Tang Dynasty, Old Tang Annals, mention little about Yan Zhenqing who was spoken highly of by the posterity? Even why didn't Dou Ji, a famous calligraphy commenter in the Tang Dynasty, list the name of Yan Zhenqing when he enumerated forty-five calligraphers? Secondly, why did only Yan Zhenqing choose to realize creation among a number of calligraphers? And what's the foundation of conducting creation? Thirdly, why didn't Cunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy and The Model Calligraphies of the Ta-kuan Era compiled by the government embody Yan Zhenqing while a lot of calligraphers were mentioned in the two books?The article was divided into three chapters. In the first chapter the author reviewed the diachronic evolution of Yan Zhenqing's position in Tang Dynasty. The reason why Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy was well known by people was related with "An Lushan and Shi Siming Rebellion". From the view of the whole Tang Dynasty, Yan Zhenqing was only recognized as a common calligrapher whose position in calligraphy field could not compare with Chu Suiliang. In the second chapter the topic mainly surrounded Yan Zhenqing's living background, ideological situation in his times and social activities closely related with him. Yan Zhenqing lay in "Pre-ancient Prose Movement" and took an active part in the activity. Therefore, the thinking reasons driving the change of the Yan Style were closely bound with Confucianism Renaissance and Pre-ancient Prose Movement. From investigating the answer of not embodying Yan Zhenqing in Cunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy, the author reviewed the legitimacy values of calligraphy and the different acceptant views of "four great masters in Northern Song Dynasty". In conclusion, we should regard it as a partly truth that Yan Zhenqing established his position in Northern Song and admit the legitimacy values of calligraphy built by both Cunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy and the calligrapher Mi Fu did not actively accept Yan Zhenqing.