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

ABSTRACT BEAUTY

and then to develop his individual method of presenting it. Calligraphy is in no different case.

During the three years I have spent in England, I have heard a good deal of the Russian Ballet, and have myself seen several of its performances. The kind of pleasure I personally derived from watching it closely resembled, I found, the aesthetic emotion involved in calligraphy. After some experience of writing one begins to feel a movement springing to life under the brush which is, as it were, spontaneous. It is present in even a single stroke or dot. The brush acts rhythmically, stretching to the left, drawing away to the right, turning, pirouetting, poising. The stroke responds to the slightest movement of the wrist and fingers or of the right elbow and arm. ‘The sensation is really very like that aroused by a ballerina balancing upon one toe, revolving, leaping, and poising on the other toe. She has to possess perfect control of her movements and amazing suppleness. The same qualities are demanded of the writer. A dancer’s movements follow the rhythm of the accompanying music: a writer’s movements depend upon the length and shape of stroke of the style he is practising, which may thus be said to correspond to the music. When I see a dancer executing a ‘ stilted’ step, I am reminded of the Regular Style of handwriting; when she changes to a flowing movement I think of the Running Style; and when she breaks into a light, rapid step, I think of the Grass Style. And conversely, I believe one can derive more pleasure from contemplating a piece of Running or Grass Style calligraphy if one holds in mind the image of adancer. Particularly is this the case with the Grass hand, in which all the strokes of the characters are joined in a continuous line like the pattern of a dancer’s

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