Chinese calligraphy : an introduction to its aesthetic and technique : with 6 plates and 155 text illustratons

ABSTRACT BEAUTY

Although, except in our most ancient script, which is sometimes termed picture-writing, no Chinese character exactly represents a living thing, yet the main principle of composition is in every case a balance and poise similar to that of a figure standing, walking, dancing, or executing some other lively movement. In criticizing a piece of calligraphy, the first desideratum is that the thing should be living; the next, to discover where the life lies. The beauty of Chinese calligraphy is essentially the beauty of plastic movement, not of designed and motionless shape. A finished piece of it is not a symmetrical arrangement of conventional shapes, but something like the co-ordinated movements of a skilfully composed dance —impulse, momentum, momentary poise, and the interplay of active forces combining to form a balanced whole. Neatness, regularity, and exactitude of outline, such as are found in English or Chinese printing types, are not desirable qualities in Chinese calligraphy.

The principles on which the strokes are balanced into a beautiful pattern are not those of symmetry, but depend upon a kind of inherent tendency in the writer. The balance is achieved by instinct, and derives from the writer’s aesthetic vision. However, although our ancient masters doubtless had no knowledge of mechanics, most of their characters succeed in obeying its laws! ‘The centre of gravity, for instance, is always rightly placed. In the examples below (Fig. 72), each character has a stable stance, with a gesture of movement, and the centre of gravity falls upon the base. If any part of any character had been wrongly placed, the whole would have appeared to totter.

The construction of a good character presents a further

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