Research On Yi Bingshou's Cliigraphy

Yi Bingshou,proficient in calligraphy,painting and peom-writing with loft moral standings,was listed amongst the greatest calligraphers of the Qing Dynasty. As a traditional scholar, he worshipped the "Zhonghe"Beauty (the beauty of moderation and harmonization)of the Confucian School.He never stooped to flatter or played up to those in power, bringing in an artistic style of manly virility and immense sweep in his calligraphy.The antique and clumsy conception in his calligraphy works derectly reflects his standings of honesty, gentleness and elegance. In the calligraphy world of the Qing Dynasty which was inbued with famed calligraphers,Yi developed an artistic school of his own and became one of the representatives who aroused the resurgence of clerical script in Beixue (the study of stele inscription) in the Qing Dynasty.His billiant achievements in the history of the Chinese calligraphy granted him a position of great importance.As a result,he had a weighty inflence on the artistic style of the Lingnan School and also on the Beixue school in the late period of the Qing Dynasty.The thesis can be divided into four sections as follows.I .A brief description of all Yi's life and the path of how he studied calligraphy, three periods listed and introduced : 1. the period of Enlightenment (mainly from Tiexue-the study of calligraphy models ) .2. the period of development (from both Tiexue and Beixue) .3. the period of maturation (mainly from Beixue);II .An anlysis of Yi's calligraphy and the origin of his artistic ideas: This section illustrastes the main reseans for his success in founding such a school—1.He was diligent;2.He was adept in study and learned from others; and,3.He was accomplished in rich traditional culture beyond calligraphy,and he showed an independent aethetic tendency;III.An anlysis of Yi's main achievements in calligraphy and a helpful comparison between Yi and other representative calligraphers of the Qing Dynasty such as Jin Nong, Deng Shiru,Gui Fu and He Shaoji,and,IV.A proper anlysis of the values and the significance of Yi's calligraphy: He cast a strong impact on the calligraphy trends of the late period of the Qing Dynasty and the Cantonese calligraphy circle .This academic thesis aims to make a comprehensive exposition of Yi's calligraphy by applying such methods as textual research, synthesis, comparison and graph anlysis,etc. An objective,distinct evaluation of Yi's calligraphy will come from a careful carding of his calligraphy-probing trails, artistic origins and calligraphy practice.Nowadays,his artistic of blazig new trails by borrowig the ancient essence enlightens us a great deal when we are taking up calligraphy creation,especially in clerial script.The spirit is of great value which we can refer to in the comtenporary study of calligraphy as well.