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

CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY

when little progress had been made beyond the most primitive form of the style (Ku-Wén), yet it has a very emphatic movement as well as stability. In the accompanying sketch, the left hand of the figure largely supports the body and is balanced by the left foot ; while the slight lifting of the right hand and the slight downward inclination of the right foot, which is held close to the left, assist in creating the impression of a temporary equilibrium achieved in the act of moving.

FIG. 76

The character Hsin (sty) in Fig. 77, which means ‘ heart’, is considered difficult to form well, because the three dots and the single curve are not easily arranged into a satisfying pattern. This particular example is taken from a Lz-Shu memorial of

the Wei dynasty. Comparing it with the accompanying picture, the three dots are seen to occupy corresponding positions to the man, the oar, and the awning, while the elongated curve has the semblance of the boat. The whole character seems to be proceeding serenely down a river.

Fig. 78 is another example of Yen’s style, of which we

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