He Shaoji’s calligraphy was graceful and smooth in his early years, lingering between the inscriptions of Yan Zhenqing, Li Yong, Wang Xizhi and the Northern Dynasties. The pen is trembling, full-bodied and flavorful; in his later years, He Shaoji's calligraphy has reached perfection. Below are the selected calligraphy works of He Shaoji that I have compiled for you. I hope it will be useful to you!

Appreciation of He Shaoji’s selected calligraphy works

Selected calligraphy works of He Shaoji Picture 1

Picture 2 of He Shaoji’s selected calligraphy works

Picture 3 of He Shaoji’s selected calligraphy works

Picture 4 of He Shaoji’s selected calligraphy works

He Shaoji? Biography

He Shaoji (1799? 1873), a native of Daozhou, Hunan, with the courtesy name Zizhen , named Dongzhou, also known as Dongzhou layman, and later named Yuansou. He was a poet, scholar, and calligrapher in the Qing Dynasty. He Shaoji's representative works include "Xi Dao Wei Zhai Jing Shuo", "Dongzhou Caotang Poems? Wen Chao", "Shuo Wen Duan Annotation and Correction", etc.

His father, He Linghan, was the Minister of the Ministry of Official Accounts. He Shaoji was a disciple of Ruan Yuan and Cheng Enze in his early years. In the fifteenth year of Daoguang (1835), he ranked first in the Yiwei Enke Provincial Examination (Jieyuan). In the sixteenth year of Daoguang (1836), he was awarded the second-class Chinese Jinshi. Later, he served as editor of the Hanlin Academy and school administrator of Wenyuan Pavilion. In the second year of Xianfeng, he (1852) He served as an academic administrator in Sichuan. He resigned due to slander and gave lectures in academies in Jinan, Changsha and other places. He Shaoji was born in a scholarly family. His father, He Linghan, once served as the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and was a well-known book collector. The four brothers He Shaoji were all good at writing and calligraphy, and they were known as the "Four Heroes of the He Family".

In the twelfth month of the lunar calendar in the fourth year of Jiaqing, he and his younger brother Shaoye were born together in the Yigengdu Min family in Dongmen Village, Dongmen Township. His family was poor when he was young, so he and his younger brother lived with their mother in his uncle Liao's family in Xiaoping, Xizhou. He entered Beijing with his mother at the age of 8. In his early years, he was a disciple of Ruan Yuan and Cheng Enze. At the age of 18, he took the Jingzhao Examination and was admitted as a family member. In the eleventh year of Daoguang's reign (1831), he was selected as a high-ranking scholar. In the 15th year of Daoguang's reign (1835), he passed the imperial examination and the following year was awarded the title of Jinshi. He was awarded the title of Editor of the Hanlin Academy. He has successively served as school manager of Wenyuan Pavilion, promotion and promotion of National History Museum, etc., and served as examiner of provincial examinations in Fujian, Guizhou and Guangdong. In the second year of Xianfeng (1852), he was appointed academic administrator of Sichuan. He only served as an official for two years. In the following year, he offended the powerful because of his presentation of current affairs. He was denounced as "wanton talk", suffered slander, and was demoted and transferred. Then he resigned from his official position and founded Caotang Academy, where he lectured and taught apprentices. In the sixth year of Xianfeng (1856), he set out from Sichuan and arrived in Jinan via Shaanxi and other places, where he gave lectures at Luowu Academy in Shandong. In addition to lecturing, he traveled to Daming Lake, Baotu Spring, Pearl Spring, Qianfo Mountain and other places in Jinan, leaving many poems. In the tenth year of Xianfeng's reign (1860), he left Jinan for Changsha at the invitation of Changsha Chengnan Academy. He taught in Shandong and Changsha Chengnan Academy for more than ten years. In his later years, he presided over Suzhou and Yangzhou bookstores, published the school magazine "Commentaries on the Thirteen Classics", lectured at Zhejiang Xiaolian Hall, traveled to Wuyue, and taught students. He spent his life drinking heavily and traveling extensively, visiting famous mountains and resorts, and visiting ancient monuments. In the fourth year of Guangxu's reign (1873), he died of illness in his residence in Suzhou Province and was buried in the southern suburbs of Changsha.

Holding, handling and using the pen in calligraphy

Penmanship is the essence of Chinese calligraphy art. It is also called using the pen, which refers to the method of using the pen and using the edge. Brushwork is the core of calligraphy techniques and comes first. Without brushwork, there is no calligraphy at all. When it comes to writing skills, the first thing that cannot be ignored is the issue of writing.

1. Pen-holding method (combined with student training)

Pen-holding is the premise and foundation of calligraphy. When it comes to writing, the first thing to be reminded of are some misconceptions about writing. Some statements emphasize the difficulty of writing, so some people think that writing is a very profound issue. We believe that writing is important, but for the art of calligraphy, writing is only a prerequisite and not the ultimate goal. Holding a pen to write is like using chopsticks to eat. As long as the chopsticks can be held firmly and the food is brought to the mouth, the purpose has been achieved, and the specific enforcement of chopsticks can naturally be different. When writing with a brush, you should pay attention to the way you hold the brush, but the purpose of holding the brush is to write good words. Don't stick to the law of the brush. As long as the words can be written well, the method of writing is not the most important. Let’s take a look at some of the main writing methods in history.

Before the Tang Dynasty, because there were no tall desks, the way of writing was different from the way we commonly see it today. In the famous "Picture of Admonitions of Women's History" by Gu Kaizhi, the female historian writes while standing with a pen in hand, while the posture of the scriptwriter in "Picture of School Book of Northern Qi" passed down to the Tang Dynasty is also very different from today's. After Huaisu, a famous cursive calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty, got drunk, he suddenly screamed three to five times and filled the wall with thousands of words. ?When he picks up a pen to write on the wall, his writing method must be different. In the Song Dynasty, Su Shi emphasized that there is no fixed method for writing, and it should be empty and wide. When he wrote, he used the three-finger method. The so-called three-finger pen holding method is to use three fingers to hold a pen, similar to the way we hold a pen today. It is said that when Su Shi wrote, his wrist did not leave the table, but gently slid on the table. Mi Fu, who was one of the "Four Masters of Song Dynasty" together with Su Shi, believed that the pen should be held lightly. The so-called "light pen" naturally means that the hand is guilty and the vigor is naive, and it is out of accident.

?This is similar to Su Dongpo, but he also believes that writing should be done with the wrist hanging.

Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty, believed that when writing, you should lift the pen and let it stand up and fall down. He Shaoji, a calligrapher of the Qing Dynasty, was different. He believed that the wrist-turning method was the best choice. Gao Fenghan, whose right hand was disabled due to illness, switched to his left hand and became an accomplished calligrapher.

Generally speaking, modern calligraphers prefer the "five-character writing method" passed down by Lu Xisheng in the Tang Dynasty. The so-called "five-character writing method" refers to the five-character writing method explained by the five characters: "stroke, press, hook, grid, and offset". Since this method requires the use of five fingers, it is also called the "five-finger writing method". Modern and contemporary calligrapher Shen Yinmo has a detailed explanation of this. He believes that the so-called "picking" means pressing the belly of the big finger close to the inside of the pen barrel, which is equivalent to pinching the hole of the flute with your fingers when playing the flute. The so-called "press" means to press the first section of the index finger diagonally and downwardly against the outside of the pen barrel, and cooperate with the thumb finger to hold the pen barrel firmly. The so-called "hook" means that when the thumb and index finger have grasped the pen barrel, the middle finger is bent like a hook to hook the outside of the pen barrel. The so-called "grid" is to use your ring finger to press your fingernail against the pen barrel, forcefully block the pen barrel with your middle finger hooked inward, and push it outward. The so-called "resistance" is to put the little finger under the ring finger to help the ring finger block the force of the middle finger's inward hook. When holding the pen with five fingers, the five fingers should cooperate properly and avoid using too much force. The depth of writing varies from person to person and from time to time, so don't be too paranoid.

2. Brushstrokes (combined with student training)

Generally speaking, there are finger, wrist, elbow, and whole-body brushstrokes.

The so-called finger luck is to use your fingers to move the pen. Use your fingers to move the brush, which is often used when writing not too large characters. To make the fingers move but the wrists not to know, and the fingers and wrists to cooperate seamlessly, it is the best.

Wrist movement is talked about by many calligraphers. The basis of wrist movement is hanging wrist. The so-called hanging wrist is to make the wrist hang in the air. Wrist movement means using the suspended wrist to drive the brush to write. Wrist hanging may seem difficult, but if you stick to it, you'll see results within two weeks. Some people use the pillow-wrist method instead of hanging the wrist. The so-called "pillowing the wrist" means writing with your left hand pillowed under your right hand. We believe that this pillow-wrist technique should only be used occasionally when writing small characters. As for some people who say that you should first use the pillow to support your wrist, and then slowly hang it up after you become proficient, it is pure nonsense.

What to do with the elbow after the wrist is suspended? The ancients had a so-called "wrist-raising method", which involves placing the elbow on the table and writing with the wrist suspended. Of course, if you are writing small letters, you can still raise your wrist. In this method, the elbow is placed close to the table and the elbow becomes a fulcrum, which makes writing very inflexible and convenient. Therefore, one solution is to hang the elbows. Once your elbow is also suspended, you can use your suspended wrist and elbow to work closely with each other to wield the brush and write works with ease.

As for the theory of whole body movement, as mentioned before, we cannot equate this theory with the whole body shaking like juggling. If you want to use the strength of the whole body, it can only be secret luck. Do not do simple things. understand. If the fingers, wrists, elbows and even the whole body and mind work together around the brush, then the written words will definitely be good. Of course, this coordination must be organic and natural, and cannot be mechanical, rigid, fragmented or even pretentious.

These several methods of writing are closely related to body parts, and the effects of each type of writing are different. Whether writing or appreciating, trying to figure out the ancient calligraphy techniques is an important way to improve your skills.

3. Using the pen (combined with student training)

1. Center and side forwards

For the center forward, point the pen barrel vertically to the paper surface, so that the tip of the pen is in the middle of the stipples. Pen method of running. Side-stroke refers to the method of using the pen with the tip of the pen on one side of the stroke. Center and winger are a pair of dual categories. When writing, you can constantly use the side edge when turning and starting and closing the pen, and the pen edge should be constantly adjusted to the center state. Xiaozhuan is written purely with the center edge, while regular script and cursive script are mostly written with the side edge. Seeing the importance of the center in Xiaozhuan, some people emphasize the center of the strokes and deny the richness of other calligraphy styles, which is biased. On the contrary, when some people see that there are many flankers in the line, they will not miss any move and use the flankers to sweep them all. This is also an extreme method. The ancient saying that "the center takes strength and the side forward takes beauty" highlights the dialectical relationship between the two.

2. Hidden edge and exposed edge

Hidden edge means that the edge of the brush is hidden in the stipple painting and is not exposed, which corresponds to the exposed edge. .Contrary to "hiding the front", "exposing the front" means writing in the direction of the strokes, with the front of the brush exposed. The hidden front and exposed front are mainly reflected in the starting and closing of the pen. Generally speaking, the dot paintings written by Zang Feng are round and round, while the dot paintings written by Lu Feng are sharp. The hidden edge when starting to write is: "If you want to go right, go left first, if you want to go down, go up first." For example, when writing horizontal strokes, first stroke to the left, hide the tip of the stroke, and then stroke to the right; when writing vertical strokes, stroke upward first, hide the tip of the stroke inside the stipple, and then stroke downward. By analogy, all Tibetan fronts use this method. The hidden edge at the end of the stroke is to lift the pen and close the edge in the opposite direction of the stroke at the end of the stroke, forming a rounded pointillism shape. This kind of brush use is also called "returning the edge". The exposed edge when starting the stroke is to start the stroke directly in the direction of the pointillism movement, resulting in a sharp pointillism shape. When closing the brush, the exposed edge is also gradually raised and closed along the direction of the stroke, and the end of the stippling is as sharp as a needle.

What is commonly known as "hanging needle vertical" is to hide the front and close the pen, while "hanging needle vertical" is to reveal the front to close the pen.

3. Lifting and pressing

Refers to the lifting and lowering movement of the brush during operation. Lifting and pressing makes the stipples different in severity and thickness. Su Dongpo has a very appropriate metaphor. He believes that lifting in writing is like the rising and falling of feet in walking. You have to put it down as soon as you lift it up, and you have to lift it up again after you put it down. Only in this way can walking be meaningful and writing can be successful. The mentions in Xiaozhuan are more subtle, while in other calligraphy styles they are very obvious. The importance of stippling is something that many calligraphy works pay great attention to, and sometimes it is even a sign of authenticity and distinction between good and bad. For example, Huang Tingjian's running script "Poems of Pang Yun on Cold Mountains" has a volume each in the collections of the National Palace Museum in Taipei and John M. Gu Luofu, Jr. in the United States. The contrast between the manuscript and the manuscript in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei is obvious, and the tapered opening and closing pen shows the good elasticity of the new pen used by the author. The dot paintings in Gu Luofu's collection are thicker and heavier, and the contrast between the dots and the dots is not so obvious. It is not difficult to see the difference between the two from the comparison of the horizontal drawings of the character "Ping", the character "arrow", and the character "Ru". If you carefully observe the two works, you will find that the stipples in the former are undulating and varied, while the stipples in the latter are relatively straight, and the changes in the stipples are not so rich.

4. Rhythm

The rhythm of writing refers to the speed of writing. Writing speed directly affects the writing effect, and the rhythm when writing is also an important aspect of using a pen. Compared with Western writing paper, handmade Chinese calligraphy and painting paper is rough and not smooth, which results in the writing speed of the brush not being as fast as on machine-made paper, but with greater friction. And because the paper is absorbent, you have to keep a fairly fast pace when using the pen. The speed can be slightly slower, but the rhythm must be faster. This creates a series of variables in writing, and the effects are constantly changing. A speed that is too fast or too slow is the same as a single rhythm, making it difficult to produce vivid works. Generally speaking, works that bring appeal due to speed and rhythm are mostly cursive scripts, while regular script, seal script, and official script can be completed at a relatively similar speed and a relatively monotonous rhythm. But a good calligrapher can also have cursive interest when writing seal script, official script, and regular script.

5. Pen gestures

In the above methods of using the pen, except for the up and down movement of the brush in space when lifting and pressing, the other brush movements are almost all movements on the plane. The brush gesture emphasizes the use of the brush in the air. Just like a hydropower station must rely on the potential energy generated by the drop of water to generate electricity, the effect of calligraphy also requires the drop of the pen tip in the air to achieve a vivid effect. In the history of calligraphy, the more vivid the calligraphy work, the more pens are used in the air. The translation of brushwork and the echo between strokes that the ancients talked about mainly rely on this kind of brushwork. When practicing, you can lift the brush and look for a landing point in the air. Once you find it, just like an eagle catching a chicken, you can write quickly and quickly, and write dots on the paper.

IV. Posture

Writing posture is very important for practicing writing. Correct writing posture not only ensures smooth writing, reduces fatigue, and improves writing skills, but also promotes the normal development of children and adolescents and prevents the occurrence of many diseases such as myopia, strabismus, and spinal curvature. Therefore, attention must be paid.

The correct writing posture is: sit upright with your upper body, shoulders level; head upright, leaning slightly forward; back straight, chest straight, chest about a punch away from the edge of the table; feet flat on the The ground is shoulder-width apart; your left and right arms are flat on the table, your left hand is pressing the paper, and your right hand is holding a pen. The distance between your eyes and the paper should be about one foot.