Zheng Songxian’s Zhangcao Art Study

On the study of Zhangcao(a specific kind of cursive hand of Chinese calligraphy)in modern times,Zheng Songxian is a calligrapher who cannot be ignored.He created a quite different,elegant and graceful Zhangcao style on the basis of learning with ancient methods.He was known as the "King of Zhangcao" for his outstanding personal characteristics and unique insights.His innovation on Zhangcao put its rejuvenation in the Republic of China era ahead,and influenced the development and creation of Zhangcao in modern and contemporary times.Based on Zheng Songxian’s Zhangcao,this paper carries out an in-depth and specific study on the artistic characteristics of his works.The paper mainly consists of three parts: Zheng Songxian’s experience of artistic practice,Zheng Songxian’s artistic style of Zhangcao,and Zheng Songxian’s copying and thinking styles of his works.Among them,Zheng Songxian’s artistic style of Zhangcao is the focus of this paper,which covers the using characteristics of the brush,the structure and composition of the works,the rules and methods of creation,as well as the construction of his ideology on Zhangcao.By studying Zheng Songxian’s pictures and texts,analyzing the characteristics of the starting,line and closing strokes of Zhangcao,as well as the compositional characteristics,the writer explores the related factors to explain the artistic style of Zhangcao.This paper explores the unique charm of Zheng Songxian’s Zhangcao with the methodologies of literature,analysis and induction.It also provides a deep discussion on the essence of Zheng’s calligraphy and the influence to the later generations,which aims to improve the theoretical system of Zhangcao calligraphy in modern times,to provide a new perspective and materials for the other masters to study Zhangcao,and to provide a certain theoretical basis and practical guidance for the learners and researchers on Zhangcao in contemporary times.