Tan Yankai's Calligraphy Art Research

Tan Yankai is both a political and a famous calligrapher.Tan Yankai is good at calligraphy,especially in regular script.Yu Youren is skilled in running script,Wu Zhihui is good at seal character,Hu Hanmin is adept at official script and Tan Yankai was known as “four master of calligraphy in the republic of China”.In the beginning of the republic of China,the development of stone inscription study was to thrive,while the study of Tie was weak.However,Tan Yankai not abandoned the traditional study of Tie calligraphy and he not only researched the stone inscription study but also insisted his admire of the study Tie calligraphy.Tan Yankai learned calligraphy of Weng Tonghe in his youth,and learned the technique of writing from Qian Feng in his middle age and he studied Yan Zhenqing after his middle age.Meanwhile,he imitated calligraphy of all the calligrapher and he became the master in calligraphy.The calligraphy development of Tan Yankai had experienced three phrases,his calligraphy style changed from the neat and beautiful calligraphy style for government to the dignified and graceful Yan Zhenqing style.The keynote of his calligraphy was adapted by Yan Zhenqing.He admired Su Shi and Mi Fu and pursued the change of calligraphy in later period,which have enriched the personal calligraphy elements.Therefore,the calligraphy of Tan Yankai is not only honest and primitive simplicity but also flexible and clever.In addition,he inherited Yan Zhenqing and created its own calligraphy style.His calligraphy promoted the spread of Yan style in the public of China and later ages so that Tan Yankai has the name of “the master of Yan style in modern times”.Tan Yankai formed his own view of calligraphy from the perennial practice of calligraphy.His proposition is “advocate the law of ancients” and “learn from the ancients”.Furthermore,he explored the excellent of calligraphy and concluded that grasped the relationship of “fast and slow” and “fat and thin” is very important in calligraphy.He focused artistic appreciation and advocated that the practice of “the technique out of words” is significant.Tan Yankai made an achievement in calligraphy and took a place in the field of calligraphy in the public of China.The existing calligraphy works had become the representative master works of national calligraphy.The style of his calligraphy,calligraphy practice and the thought of calligraphy have great influence for the future development of calligraphy.