On The Calligraphy Of Dong Qichang In The Period Of Kang

In Ming dynasty, the calligrapher Dong Qichang already gained the reputation in his lifetime. His calligraphy prevailed especially during Qing dynasty because of the emperor Qianlong’s ardent admiration. In addition, the technique of craved calligraphy also became more popular during this time period. This paper aims to uncover the popularity and social acceptance of Dong’s calligraphy through the investigation into the craved calligraphy as well as its collection of Dong’s masterpiece in Kangxi–Qianlong period. The first part of this paper probes into the rise and prosperity of court and folk craved calligraphy. Reasons behind the popularity of Dong’s calligraphy will be discussed in the second part, while this part also explores the collection of Dong’s calligraphy and different extent of acceptance of other calligraphers. In the third part, a review of Dong’s calligraphy in both court and fold craved calligraphy collection during Kangxi–Qianlong period will be conducted further.