Research On Wu Yun’s Calligraphy

The monographic study is on WuYun’s Calligraphy.Wu Yun, from GuiAn,Zhejiang province, promoted as the prefect of Su Zhou,who lived through five dynasties, Jia Qing,Dao Guang, Xian Feng,Tong Zhi, and Guang Xu.He made friends with so many people, as He Shaoji, Feng Guifen, Chen Jieqi,Wu Dacheng,Pan Zuyin,Gu Zishan,Li Hongyi,Zhang Zhiwan, Li Zhupeng, and Bao Kang, they were all his close friends.Wu Yun was in fond of and expert at antique throughout his whole life, once even enjoyed great popularity on the collection of inscription, calligraphy and painting.As a representative calligrapher of tie school in mid-late Qing dynasty, Wu Yun learned from Zhao Mengfu and Dong Qichang at the beginning, then followed Mi Fu, finally he gave up all the old styles and started to learn from Wang Xizhi’s Lan Ting Xu. Although Wu Yun imitated inscriptions as well, it lasted just for a special period, and that had not changed his status as a calligrapher of tie school.Wu Yun insisted that anyone worked on calligraphy should trace to Jin dynasty and Tang dynasty’s style, as to follow the calligraphers of Song dynasty, Yuan dynasty, or Ming dynasty would never catch the real traditionell.Wu Yun considered that the seal carving in Han dynasty was good at meticulous technique and well reflected the brush style, so he spoke out against some opportunistic seal carvers’ method of following the contemporary calligraphers, and his proposal was that Zhu Wenyin should follow the style of luting. Wu Yun made textual explanations for all the antiques of his collections, selected the prime grade ones among them, then combined and published his monographs, which provided precious documental material for the world.Wu Yun contributed so much and played such an important role to the development of calligraphy and seal carving in late Qing dynasty till the Period of Public of China, he was reputed as a representative artist in mid-late Qing dynasty.