05/22/2008 09:40:00 #1

称号：小学生

Calligraphy 书法
　　Calligraphy has endured for more than 2,000 years, and evolved into five main ways of writing each with different techniques. Even today, these are still followed and practiced often as a hobby.
　　
　　Just as calligraphy is an art practiced in western cultures so Chinese writing is a leading component in the four traditional arts, namely lute-playing, chess, calligraphy and painting. With the unification of the Chinese people by the Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC) the Prime Minister Li Si actively promoted a unified form of writing based on inscriptions on bronze wares of previous states. This was the first example of calligraphy – known as 'seal character' (Zhuanshu). Calligraphers of seal character stress a slender font, even speed and strength, and even thick lines and strokes. When seen as a whole, this calligraphy is quite round and contracted.
　　
　　In the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220), people tended to simplify the seal character which had many strokes and created the official script. The new calligraphy appeared to be much neater and delicate, turning the round style into a flat one. When beginning to write a horizontal line, one must let the brush go against the direction of point like a silkworm, and concentrate on stretching steadily, then end up with warp like a swallow's tail. This is one of the characteristics – 'silkworm's head and swallow's tail'.
　　
　　Just as the name implies, the regular script features its regularity and varies from the flat font to a square one. In Chinese it provides a model that can be followed by calligraphy lovers. It has developed since the late Han Dynasty and is today's most popular and influential writing style. The Sage of Calligraphy, Wang Xizhi led the art of calligraphy to its summit. It is recorded that when a carpenter was asked to engrave the wooden stele where there were characters written by Wang Xizhi, he found the ink had filtered into the wood piece 'three fen' deep (3.3cm or 1.3 inch)! This demonstrated the magnitude of his force and people admired him all the more because of it. The period when regular script thrived most was during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), when Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan successively established schools of their own styles noted for their strength and mellowness.
　　
　　Cursive script has more flexibility, for it only maintains the essence of each character and expresses more personal exertion. Therefore its value lies in appreciation more than practicality. While the running hand makes full use of connecting lines between two strokes it can be regarded as the quickly-written form of regular script. These two seem to be more unrestrained than the previous styles.

05/22/2008 09:46:00 #2

称号：小学生

Re:Calligraphy 书法
　　Chinese Calligraphy in Chinese Life 书法与中国人的生活
　　
　　Calligraphy occupies a distinguished position in the field of traditional art. It is not only a means of communication, but also a means of expressing a person's inner world in an aesthetic sense.
　　
　　Ancient people paid great attention to calligraphy. It was the essential whereby a candidate could manifest his literary talent in the Imperial Examination, for it gave a first impression to the examiners. Children of high officials had to learn and try to write a good hand; even emperors themselves were good at calligraphy, for example, the versatile Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911) has left us many examples of his handwriting on steles in temples and palaces.
　　
　　To practise calligraphy requires the basic tools of 'four treasures of study' (writing brush, ink stick, paper, and ink slab) as well as much concentration on guiding the soft writing brush charged with fluid ink, and writing on the paper where the ink will diffuse quickly. Once the brush movement hesitates, a black mark is created, so speed, strength and agility is the essence of fine artwork. When writing, many calligraphers will forget all worries and even themselves, combining all thoughts in the beauty of their art. Thus it can be compared with Qigong, which also can mould and improve a person's temper and promote well being.
　　
　　Calligraphy, like a mirror, is a silent reflection of the soul. It is believed to have verve, of optimism, moderateness, or pessimism. Su Dongpo, one of the four litterateurs in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), composed many bold and unconstrained ci (a form of poetry that flourished in the Song Dynasty), also could write handsome characters in good taste.
　　
　　Today, although various modern ways have been substituted for the original calligraphy, especially which created with a writing brush, people still love the ancient form and practise it untiringly. During the traditional festivals, propitious couplets are always indispensable decorations each written in a beautiful style.

05/22/2008 09:50:00 #3

称号：小学生

Re:Calligraphy 书法
　　Forms of Calligraphy
　　
　　
　　
　　The main forms of the script are the seal form, official form, regular form, cursive form and running form that have been used by calligraphists, ancient or contemporary. These forms are closely interrelated , but each form has its own shapes and features , so , different methods are employed for writing them .
　　
　　The Seal form includes tortoise script , bronze script , Warring States seal script and small seal script . The tortoise shell script already took care of coordination and aesthetics, with proportionate strokes, lively structures and even strokes. The arrangement of the lines was also aesthetic . The coordination and aesthetic arrangement was done carefully by the writer and carver . The bronze script was the inscriptions on bronze objects , originated from the tortoise shell script , began in the Shang Dynasty and flourished in the Zhou Dynasty . They were more standardized and more square and regular in forms . The distribution of the strokes was more proportionate and symmetrical . The writing technique was more varied .
　　The Warring States seal script in the Warring States period was also known as the Six Kingdoms script, represented chiefly by the “inscriptions on drum stones”. This script was more proportionate in form and was poised and elegant, vigorous and lively. The small seal script was developed on the basis of the Warring States seal script and was simpler in form . After the first Emperor of Qin unified China , the different forms of the seal script were standardized into the small seal . Its structures are long and round , with proportionate thick and thin strokes . The strokes were smooth and not sharp at the two ends . They were very aesthetic . The representative small seal calligraphy was the “stone carving of Mount Tai” written by Li Si in the Qin Dynasty . Other renowned small seal calligraphists in the later dynasties were : Li Yangbing , Yuan Zi and Song Xuxun in the Tang Dynasty , Li Dongyang in the Ming Dynasty , Wang Shu , Deng Shiru , Sun Xingyan , Gui Fu , Zhao Zhiqian , Yang Yisun and Wu Changshuo in the Qing Dynasty .

05/22/2008 09:56:00 #4

称号：小学生

Re:Calligraphy 书法
　　Appreciation & Assessment of Calligraphy 书法的收藏价值
　　
　　Appreciation and assessment of calligraphic works should be performed in the respects of their contents and in the respects of their shapes . For the former , attention should be drawn to whether the works reflect the spirit of the times , whether they are healthy , and whether they display well the sentiments . For the latter , five scripts are involved , viz , the seal script , the official script , the regular script , the running script and the cursive script . In the respect of the use of the brush , it involves the straight strokes , the round strokes , the mid-tip , the side-tip , the hidden tip , the exposed tip , etc .,
　　
　　In the respect of the structure of the words , it involves the insertion , the avoidance , the shifting , the balance , the symmetry , etc . In the respect of the arrangement of words , it involves the appropriate proportions of the dense and sparse , the dark and blank , the staggering of the big and small sizes , the long and short , and thick and slender strokes , etc . In the respect of the use of ink , it involves the thick and thin , the wet and dry , and the light and heavy ink . To be specific , we should see whether the calligraphist is very skillful and whether he does well in all the above respects . 　
　　
　　
　　Also attention should be drawn to whether the calligraphy exhibits a force and vitality . A good calligraphical work should be written with a force capable of “penetrating the paper” and exhibit a vigor and charm . Particularly the calligraphy of running script and cursive script and of words of very large sizes should exhibit a powerful momentum and an enduring charm . Their strokes should be appropriately thick or thin , long or short , straight or bending , extending or not extending , rising or falling . In fine , It should have powerful momentum and a rhythm so as to be appealing and to have a lasting charm .

05/22/2008 09:59:00 #5

称号：小学生

Re:Calligraphy 书法
　　Calligraphy and Painting 中国书画
　　
　　
　　
　　Chinese characters evolved from pictures and signs, and the Chinese art of calligraphy developed naturally from its unique writing system. Through the ages, great calligraphers developed representative calligraphic styles of their times. The love of calligraphy is deeply ingrained in Chinese scholars, and has been handed down to the present day.
　　
　　The roots of Chinese painting can be traced back to paintings on Neolithic pottery six or seven thousand years ago. Since similar tools and lines were used for the earliest painting and writing, painting is said to have the same origin as calligraphy. Thus, Chinese paintings usually integrate poetry or calligraphy with themes that include figures, landscapes, flowers, birds and other animals. Traditional Chinese painting remains a highly valued genre, often on exhibit in China as well as other countries. The contemporary art world in China is also very active. Some Chinese artists have become adept at Western-style painting, both oil and watercolor. Many Chinese painters have created works that combine traditional Chinese painting techniques with those of the West, enhancing both forms. The China Art Gallery and other art galleries hold individual or joint art exhibitions year in year out. Art expositions are held each year in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.
　　
　　中国书画
　　
　　
　　
　　中国汉字是从图画、符号逐渐演变形成的，汉字的书写和发展过程导致了书法艺术的产生。中国历代都有大书法家，其书法艺术和风格成为所在朝代书法的典型代表。人们对书法的喜爱一直流传到今天。
　　不同于西方的油画，中国的传统绘画有独特的表现形式。距今六七千年前新石器时代绘于陶器上的图画，是中国最早的绘画作品。由于最早的绘画和写字均使用同样的工具，并且都是以线条为主，故有“书画同源”之说。中国传统绘画作品一般都有题诗或题字，诗、书、画因而汇合成一个艺术整体，予人以更加丰厚的美学内涵。人物画、山水画和花鸟画均为传统绘画的重要画种，历代留下的此类绘画尤见传神。
　　当代中国的书法与绘画相当活跃。中国美术馆等艺术馆长年不断举办个人画展或联展；中国画每年都走出国门，到日本、韩国、美国、加拿大和欧洲等地展览。除中国画外，油画、版画、水彩画等西洋绘画在中国也得到发展。部分画家将国画与西画技法糅合一起进行创作，使画坛呈现出风格多样的艺术作品。以各种现代材料、格式、框架和手法为载体的现代艺术也占有一席之地，包括视频、数码、动画和声音艺术在内的新媒体艺术作品，已经在国内外的当代艺术展览中频频露面。
　　与艺术品拍卖行业的发展同步，画廊业近年来逐渐与国际惯例接轨。每年分别在北京、上海和广州各举办一次的艺术博览会，成为艺术品交易的另一种途径，其中上海艺术博览会为亚洲参展艺术品门类最齐全的艺术博览会。