Chen Hongshou Calligraphy Art Comprehensive Research

Cheng Hongshou (1598-1652) was a painter and calligrapher with great achievements and unique characteristics in late Ming Dynasty. His art talent varied in the fields of painting, calligraphy, poetry and essays etc. The works of calligraphy left today, including the albums, the scrolls, the couplets, the big and small characters by Chen Hongshou, have their style of aslant structure of characters. His works show his disposition naturally and possess the characteristic of the calligraphy style of late Ming Dynasty.The thesis divides the calligraphy works of Chen Hongshou into three periods—the early period, the middle period and the late period, and researches change process of Chen’s calligraphy in style. Therefore, it concludes different characteristics of calligraphy in these three periods. In the early period, Chen kept his own individuality while imitating the ancient works. Chen’s calligraphy was abundant in forms and was greatly affected by the cursive script of Yan Zhenqing and gradually formed his own style. In the late period, his style of calligraphy was exaggerated, bizarre, detached and refined, showing the sense of Zen and formed his own characteristic.The influence of the calligraphy of Chen Hongshou to his painting can be observed through the perspective of the same origin of Chinese calligraphy and painting. The use of calligraphy in the painting and the vivid expression of the various strokes in the lines of the painting advanced the aura and the pattern. The calligraphy and the painting were connected and benefited each other.The unique style of the calligraphy of Chen Hongshou is the result of the combination of his genius of painting, the cultural self-cultivation, the social experience, the background of the times, his personality and personal agony. Besides, his distinct artistic and aesthetic thought have profound influence towards the later generations and also have won great welcome from home and abroad.