Mi Fu (fú) (1051～1107), a calligrapher, painter and theorist of calligraphy and painting in the Northern Song Dynasty. His first name was Fu, later he was changed to Fu, with the courtesy name Yuanzhang, and his nicknames include Xiangyang Jushi and Haiyueshanren. His ancestral home is Wuwei County, Anhui Province. He later moved to Xiangyang, Hubei Province and lived in Runzhou (now Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province) for a long time. Mi Fu's fifth-generation ancestor was Mi Xin, an honorary official in the early Song Dynasty. Most of his great-grandfathers, great-grandfathers and above were military officials. His father's name was Zuo, with the courtesy name Guangfu, and he served as a military guard general. His mother, Yan, was the wet nurse of Gao, Empress Zhao Shu of Emperor Yingzong of the Song Dynasty. He once served as school secretary, doctor of calligraphy and painting, and wailang of the Ministry of Etiquette. He is good at poetry and calligraphy, and is good at calligraphy styles such as seal script, official script, regular script, running script, and cursive script. He is good at copying ancient calligraphy to the point of imitating the real calligraphy. He first studied under a certain scholar at that time, and later Ouyang Xun and Liu Gongquan. His calligraphy was tightly knotted and his strokes were straight and vigorous. Later he studied under Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi. His posture expanded and his strokes were thick and vigorous. He called himself a "brush calligrapher" and was the same as Su Shi. , Huang Tingjian and Cai Xiang are also known as the four major calligraphers of the Song Dynasty. He is good at painting dead wood, bamboo and stone, especially ink and wash landscapes. He uses dots in calligraphy to paint, and uses large strokes of ink to express the Jiangnan landscape in the changing smoke, clouds, wind and rain. It is known as Mi's Cloud Mountain and is full of creativity. Mi Fu's calligraphy ink that has been handed down from generation to generation includes "A Condolence to the Queen Mother", "Shu Su Tie", "Tiaoxi Poetry Tie", "Worship to Zhongyue Ming Tie", "Hongxian Poetry Scroll", "Nine Cursive Tie", "Duojinglou" "Poetry" and so on, but no paintings have been handed down to the world. The author of "Shanlin Collection" has been lost. His theories on calligraphy and painting can be found in his books such as "History of Calligraphy", "History of Painting", and "Records of Baozhang Waiting for Visits".
Mi Fu’s calligraphy has been admired by later generations since the Song Dynasty. His calligraphy is called "brush calligraphy", which means that his writing method is different from that of his predecessors.
Song History records: "When Mi Yuanzhang met Huizong for the first time, he ordered the book "Zhou Guan" to be written on the imperial screen. After writing, he threw the pen on the ground and said: "One wash away the evil letters of the two kings, and shine on the emperor. Song Wangu. "Huizong lurked behind the screen and heard it, but he stepped out to take a closer look." In 1107 AD, Mi Fu died of illness at the age of 57. Mi Fu loved reading poetry and books since he was a child, and he received a good education since he was a child. He was intelligent, able to recite hundreds of poems at the age of six, learned calligraphy at the age of eight, and copied inscriptions at the age of ten, gaining a small reputation. When he was eighteen years old, Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty succeeded to the throne. Because he did not forget the old relationship between Mi Fu's mother, Yan, when she was a nurse, he gave Mi Fu the title of Secretary Provincial School Zilang, who was responsible for proofreading and correcting errors at that time. From then on, he began to embark on an official career until his death in 1107. Mi Fu's official rank was not high throughout his life, which was related to his lack of courtesy in officialdom and his aloof character. Mi Fu was a man of genuine talent and learning, and was not good at flattering officials. This earned him a lot of time and energy to play with stones, appreciate inkstones, and study the art of calligraphy and painting, and his pursuit of the art of calligraphy and painting reached a state of intoxication. In the eyes of others, he is different from others, and his unconventional personality and eccentricities may be the reason. It is the cornerstone of his success. He once composed a poem by himself: "Chai Ji Yan Maozi, Mo Qing in the Mingchuang Pavilion, fame and fame are all in one play, and I don't feel that I have lost my life." He is such a talented and arrogant person who values ??the art of calligraphy and painting above all else.
Mi Fu studied calligraphy most deeply throughout his life, and his greatest achievements were in running script. Although the paintings have not been handed down to the world, many calligraphy works have survived. Among the famous calligraphies since the Southern Song Dynasty, most of them are engraved with his calligraphy. They are widely circulated and have far-reaching influence. Among the "four major calligraphers of the Northern Song Dynasty", they are second to none. Kang Youwei once said: "The structure of Tang language is higher than the interest of Song Dynasty." This means that the calligraphers of the Song Dynasty paid attention to interest and individuality, and Mi Fu was particularly outstanding in this aspect and was an outstanding representative of the four great masters of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Mi Fu studied calligraphy and called himself a "collector of ancient characters". Although some people thought he was a laughing stock, some praised him and said, "There is no need to boast about the beauty of the world, but he can eventually build his own family by collecting ancient characters" (Wang Wenzhi). This explains to a certain extent the reason for the success of Mie's calligraphy. According to Mi Fu's self-report, before he followed Su Dongpo to learn Jin calligraphy, it can be roughly seen that he was most influenced by five Tang people: Yan Zhenqing, Ouyang Xun, Chu Suiliang, Shen Chuanshi, and Duan Jizhan.
Mi Fu has many special writing techniques, such as the rounding of the right corner of the word "men", the steep rise of the vertical hook, and the crab claw hook, etc., all of which are derived from Yan's running script; It comes from the imitation of European characters and has been maintained for a long time; Shen Chuanshi's calligraphy may be similar to Chu Suiliang; Mi Fu studied Duan Jizhan's large characters, and the "unique four sides" and "brush characters" may come from this; Chu Suiliang's brushwork is the most varied and the texture is the most vivid. It matches Mi Fu's spleen and stomach. He once praised his writing, "He is like a master in controlling a horse, and his movements follow others, but there is a certain arrogance."
After the fifth year of Yuanfeng (1082), he began to search for Jin people's Dharma Tie, and obtained Wang Xianzhi's "Mid-Autumn Tie" in just one year. This grand order written by his ancestors had a huge impact on him. He always felt that the right army was not as good as his son. However, Mi Fu, who was unruly by nature, was not satisfied with Wang Xianzhi's calligraphy. As early as the reign of Shaosheng, he had shouted out "Old disgusted slaves will not exchange their letters for geese" and "One washes away the evil letters of two kings". Mi Fu is said to have studied Yang Xin, and Li Zhiyi said, "The Immortal Haiyue is beyond my expectation... Yang Xin's writing is even more amazing." So Mi Fu probably learned from Yang Xin in Buju Haiyue Temple, six years after Yuanyou.
Despite this, Mi Shu has not been finalized. The "Tiaoxi Tie", "Yinling Mingtoutuo Temple Stele and Postscript", and "Shu Su Tie" written in the third year of Yuanyou were written within one and a half months. However, the styles are quite different, and they have not completely crossed the threshold of collecting ancient characters. It was not until he was "old enough that he started his own family, and when people saw him, he didn't know what to do first" that he finally completed the establishment of his own style, probably after the age of fifty.
This stereotype of calligraphy is due to Mi Fu being too unruly and obsessed with "power". Even small regular script such as "Elegy to the Queen Mother" is eager to try. This "power" is certainly an advantage, but at the same time it becomes his flaw.
"In the end, one deviation will make a mistake." Those who praise and criticize as clearly as Huang Tingjian should be more objective and fair. Huang Changrui commented on his calligraphy, "He can only run calligraphy, but he is not good at writing straight script." The so-called "right" at that time did not have a precise meaning, and it was not necessarily the current "block regular script". If it refers to seal script and official script, it would be appropriate. The existing Mi Fu seal script is indeed not very good, and the cursive writing is mediocre. He later had a negative attitude towards the cursive script of the Tang Dynasty, and was limited by his knowledge of Jin cursive script, so it was inevitable that his grades would be mediocre.
Mi Fu writes very seriously, unlike some people who imagine that he writes books without thinking. Mi Fu himself said: "She wrote "Hai Dai Shi" three or four times, with one or two good words in between. It was also difficult to write letters" (Mi Xiangyang Foreign Notes by Fan Mingtai of the Ming Dynasty). After writing a poem three or four times, I am still satisfied with only one or two words. The joys and sorrows involved are beyond the reach of an expert, which also shows the rigor of his creative attitude.
Mi Fu is famous for his calligraphy and is one of the four masters of calligraphy in the Northern Song Dynasty. In terms of calligraphy, he ranks first. His achievements come entirely from hard work. When he was thirty years old, he was an official in Changsha and saw the stele of Yuelu Temple. The following year, he went to Lushan to visit the stele of Donglin Temple and inscribed his name on both. In the second year of Yuanyou, six paintings by Zhang Xuan, two paintings by Xu Haoshu and Shi Yigeng were exchanged for Li Yong's "Duore Yao Gefen Tie". Proof of his calligraphy, the inscriptions on the cliffs of Longyinyan in Lingui at the age of 24 are a bit impressive, but there is no trace of his own family; the inscriptions and postscripts of "Buchao Tu" at the age of 30 also make people deeply aware of his lack of talent and academic ability. .
Mi Lao is cunning, and it is reasonable to boast occasionally. As the predecessors said, "set high standards for yourself." Mi Fu's self-descriptions of his studies were often somewhat mysterious. For example, he told the emperor that "I have been learning about appearance since I was a child." However, Mi Fu's success comes entirely from hard work and hard work, and there is no trickery at all. Mi Fu visits the pond every day and cites two historical materials as evidence: "If you don't read for a day, you will feel astringent, thinking that the ancients did not waste half a moment of reading." "If Zhi Yong's inkstone turns into a mortar, it can reach Youjun (Wang Xizhi). If it penetrates Zhong (Yao) and Suo (Jing) Ye, it can be encouraged forever." His son Mi Youren said that he was even in the New Year. I didn’t forget to write in the first grade of junior high school. (According to Sun Zubai's "Mi Fu Mi Youren"). Mi Fu was rich in collecting, and when he went on official trips, he would often follow them wherever he went, writing a large banner on the boat "Mi Family Painting and Calligraphy Boat".
In his later years, Mi Fu lived in Dantu, Runzhou (now part of Jiangsu), where he had Shanlin Hall. Therefore, the collection of his poems and essays is called "Shanlin Collection", which has one hundred volumes, most of which are now lost. At present, there is "Baojin Yingguang Collection" handed down from generation to generation. Mi Fu could calligraphy and poetry, and his poetry was called "Ige". He was lofty and outstanding, and he was in his own family. He tried to write poems for Xu Chongyuan, who said that he "didn't offend anyone, and never recorded a single poem in his life that was devoted to nobles and nobles." His unique style was his strength, and his deliberate seeking of differences was his shortcoming.
Mi Fu’s paintings do not exist in the world. Mi Fu's "History of Painting" records his collection and appreciation of ancient paintings, as well as his preference for painting, aesthetic taste, creative experience, etc. This should be the best basis for studying his paintings.
Mi Fu's success lies in achieving the literati taste he recognized through a certain attitude and theme selection of ink opera. Mi Fu realized that he could change the traditional painting procedures and technical standards to achieve new interesting purposes. The reason is: Mi Fu was first of all a wealthy collector and connoisseur, and he was well aware of the pros and cons of the paintings of the past dynasties, and he paid more attention to the content of the painting itself; while Su Shi was first of all a literary giant, and then he became famous as a literary figure. He expresses his views on painting as an amateur, and mostly measures and requires painting based on the standards of poetry (literature). Although there is no shortage of insights, it is ultimately separated from painting.
So later generations mostly regard Mi Fu as a painter and Su Shi as an art theorist. What I am thinking about in my heart is Su Shi's painting theory, but what I practice in my hands is Mi Jia Yunshan. Although Su Shi has paintings handed down to the world, Mi Fu has none. As a historical study, it cannot but be pointed out that Mi Fu's artistic thoughts were far ahead of their time than Su Shi's.
His son Mi Youren inherited the family tradition of calligraphy and became a calligrapher of his generation. [Edit this paragraph] "Artistic Characteristics" Mi Fu has his unique understanding of the distribution, structure, and brush use of calligraphy. It is required to be "stable but not vulgar, dangerous but not strange, old but not dry, moist but not fat", which is probably what Jiang Kui wrote about "nothing droops, no shrinking, no direction, no gain". That is to say, it is required to achieve unity in the change, to integrate the opposite factors such as wrapping and hiding, fatness and thinness, sparseness and density, simplicity and complexity, that is, "the bones, muscles, skin and flesh, fat, luster, wind and spirit are all complete, just like a good scholar." . In terms of composition, we pay attention to the overall charm, take into account the perfection of details, and have a well-thought-out approach. During the writing process, we change according to the situation and show unique ingenuity.
The characteristic of Mi Fu's brushwork is mainly that he is good at forming an elegant and super-stepping momentum and a calm and happy style in the front, side, back, turning, and frustration. The strokes of the characters are often quite heavy at the beginning and slightly lighter in the middle. When encountering a turning point, the strokes of the strokes will turn straight down. There are also many changes in the strokes. Sometimes the focus of the stroke is on the starting point, sometimes on the finishing point, and sometimes it is in the middle of a stroke. For longer horizontal paintings, there are twists and turns. The hook is also distinctive.
Mi Fu's calligraphy often includes sideways postures. When he wants to go left, he goes right, when he wants to rise, he suppresses it. This is all to increase the grace of jumping up and down, and the air of flying and flying, which is based on decades of ancient calligraphy. It is based on the strong foundation of calligraphy, so it is innocent and natural, without any artificiality. Those who learn Mifu, even if they are close to water and towers, will still be "hard and crazy". Since the Song and Yuan Dynasties, when it comes to Mi Fu's calligraphy, two attitudes can be roughly distinguished: one is praising but not disparaging, and highly praised; the other is both praising and disparaging, with mostly praise elements. Those who hold the first attitude can be represented by Su Shi.
[Edit this paragraph] "Artistic Achievements" Mi Fu, as a famous painter in the Northern Song Dynasty, was in a mature era of literati painting. His painting subjects were very wide, including figures, landscapes, turquoise, plums, orchids, bamboos, and chrysanthemums; Mi Fu made the greatest achievements in landscape painting, but he did not like the northern landscapes with towering peaks and overlapping mountains. What he appreciated more was the ever-changing "smoky clouds and mist scenes" of the Jiangnan water towns, which were "innocent and plain" and "not pretending to be clever"; Therefore, Mi Fu pursues nature in his artistic style. The "Mishi Cloud Mountains" he created were all written in letters, hidden by mist and clouds.
Mi Fu's calligraphy ranks among the four calligraphers of the Song Dynasty, after Su Dongpo and Huang Tingjian, and before Cai Xiang. However, regardless of Su Dongpo's status as a literary master and Huang Tingjian's influence as the leader of the Jiangxi Poetry School, as far as calligraphy is concerned, Mi Fu has the most profound traditional skills, especially running script, which is superior to the two.
Dong Qichang of the Ming Dynasty said in his "Essays on Painting a Zen Room": "When I tried to comment on rice characters, I thought that the Song Dynasty was the best, after all, it came from Dongpo. That is to say, Mi Dian's calligraphy was more self-proclaimed, but it changed in his later years. "The emperor asked about calligraphy. Mi Fu claimed that he was a "brush calligrapher". He was modest but down to the essentials. "Brush calligraphy" reflected his swiftness and vigor with his pen. , enjoy yourself and do your best. His calligraphy works, ranging from poems and calligraphy to small rulers, slips, inscriptions and postscripts, are all characterized by joyful, dynamic, dynamic, vigorous and fresh. Judging from the nearly sixty existing handwritings of Mi Fu, the word "brush" vividly expresses the spirit of the word "rice". No wonder Su Dongpo said: "The calligraphy of Mi Fu is so enchanting." He also said, "Hai Yue lived his life." His calligraphy in seal script, official script, official script, cursive script, and Fengqiang Zhenma are calm and joyful, and he deserves to be compared with Zhong Wang. "Mi Fu's calligraphy had a profound influence, especially in the late Ming Dynasty. Celebrities such as Zhu Yunming, Chen Chun, Xu Wei, Wang Juesi and Fu Shan also took a "Heart Sutra" from rice. This influence continues to this day. In addition to his extremely high level of calligraphy, Mi Fu also has many calligraphy commentaries. He is the author of "History of Books", "Haiyue Famous Sayings", "Baozhang Waiting for Visits", "Commentary Copybook", etc. Showing his outstanding courage and sophisticated appreciation, he often ridiculed his predecessors, but he never followed the ancient sayings. He was valued by calligraphers of the past dynasties. However, he also went too far, criticizing Yan Liu and belittling Xu Su. Harsh and critical.
Mi Fu studied calligraphy the most and made the greatest achievements in his life. Mi Fu claims that his works are "collections of ancient characters", and he has a deep understanding of the ancient masters' brushwork, composition and charm. This also shows to a certain extent that Mi Fu has put a lot of effort into the tradition of studying calligraphy. Mi Fu was not involved in the political whirlpool and lived a relatively stable life. Later, he became a doctor of calligraphy and painting. He had a good understanding of the imperial collection of books and was familiar with the stories of thousands of years. When he was young, he studied hard Tang Kai scripts such as Yan, Liu, Ou and Chu, and gained solid basic skills. When Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou, he went to visit him for advice, and Dongpo persuaded him to learn from Jin. Beginning in the fifth year of Yuanfeng (1082), Mi Fu devoted himself to the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Taking the calligraphy style of the Jin people as his guide, he searched for many Jin people's Dharma texts, and even named his study "Baojin Zhai". The "Mid-Autumn Tie" written by Wang Xianzhi today is said to be his copy, and it is extremely exquisite in form and spirit. Mi Fu studied under many teachers throughout his life, and he also said this in his "Autobiography" written in his later years: "I first learned to write on the wall when I was seven or eight years old. The characters were so big that I couldn't write them on the bamboo slips. I admired Liu when he saw them. The tight knot is learned from Liu's "Diamond Sutra". After a long time, I know that it comes from Europe. Later, Duan Quanze exhibited "Orchid Pavilion", and then read the "Taiwan". After entering the Jin and Wei Dynasties, he abandoned Zhong Fang and studied "Liu Kuan Stele", which is also the seal script of "Zui Chu" and "Shigu Wen". The paint is made of bamboo, and the inscription on the tripod is wonderful and ancient."
Mi Fu is famous for his calligraphy. His achievements are entirely due to his hard work. Mi Fu visits the pond every day. Historical records record: "One day. If I don't write for a day, I will feel dull, thinking that the ancients never used up their writing for a moment. "Zhiyong can reach Youjun (Wang Xizhi) by making an inkstone, and if he penetrates it, he can reach Zhong (Yao) and Suo (Jing)." You can always encourage it." His son Mi Youren said that he did not forget to write even on the first day of the new year. (According to Sun Zubai's "Mi Fu Mi Youren"). Mi Fu was very conscientious in writing. He said: "She wrote "Hai Dai Shi" three or four times, with one or two good words in between. It is also difficult to write letters" (Mi Xiangyang Foreign Notes by Fan Mingtai of the Ming Dynasty). After writing a poem three or four times, I am still satisfied with only one or two words. The joys and sorrows involved are beyond the reach of an expert, which also shows the rigor of his creative attitude.
Mi Fu's calligraphy ranks among the four calligraphers of the Song Dynasty, after Su Dongpo and Huang Tingjian, and before Cai Xiang. However, regardless of Su Dongpo's status as a literary master and Huang Tingjian's influence as the leader of the Jiangxi Poetry School, as far as calligraphy is concerned, Mi Fu has the most profound traditional skills, especially running script, which is superior to the two. Dong Qichang of the Ming Dynasty said in his "Essays on Painting a Zen Room": "When I tried to comment on the word rice, I thought that the Song Dynasty was the best, after all, it was on the east slope. That is to say, the calligraphy of Mi Dian was more self-satisfied, but it changed in his later years, and it was as cold as water. Strange." When the emperor asked about calligraphy, Mi Fu claimed that he was a "brush calligrapher". He was modest in appearance but down to the essentials. "Brush calligraphy" showed that he used the pen quickly and vigorously, and did his best with all his heart. His calligraphy works, ranging from poems and calligraphy to small rulers, slips, inscriptions and postscripts, are all characterized by joyful, dynamic, dynamic, vigorous and fresh. Judging from the nearly 60 existing handwritings of Mi Fu, the word "brush" vividly expresses the spirit of the word "rice". No wonder Su Dongpo said: "The calligraphy of Mi Fu is so fascinating." He also said, "Hai Yue lived his life." Seal, Li, Zhen, Xing, and cursive scripts, calm and joyful, should be worthy of being with King Zhong.
"Mi Fu's calligraphy had a far-reaching influence, especially in the late Ming Dynasty. There were many scholars, such as Wen Zhengming, Zhu Yunming, Chen Chun, Xu Wei, Wang Juesi, and Fu Shan, who all took a "Heart Sutra" from Mi Fu. This kind of calligraphy The influence continues to this day.
In addition to his extremely high level of calligraphy, Mi Fu also wrote many works on calligraphy, such as "History of Calligraphy", "Hai Yue's Famous Sayings" and "Baozhang Waiting for Visits". ", "Comments on Calligraphy", etc. show his outstanding courage and sophisticated appreciation. He often ridiculed his predecessors, but he never followed the ancient sayings. He was valued by calligraphers of the past dynasties, but there were also many exaggerations. He ridiculed Yanliu, criticized Xu Su, and was harsh on flaws. Mi Fu's handed down ink writings mainly include "Tiaoxi Poetry Volume", "Shu Su Tie", "Fangyuan An Ji", "Tianma Fu", etc., and there are especially many short pieces of Hanzha. /p>
Mi Fu is good at ink landscapes and is known as "Mi's Cloud Mountain". However, the only traces of Mi Fu's paintings that can be seen in the world can hardly be said to be "Mi Paintings" in the true sense. ——"Coral Pen Stand", a painting of a coral pen stand with the word "Golden Sitting" written on the left, and then adding rice dots and an inscription, it is quite interesting that Mi Fu used the painting instead of the painting. .