Wang Xizhi

Name: Wang Xizhi
ISBN: 9787512511880

皮波人物国际名人研究中心International Culture Publishing Corporation · ChinaJul 2020

3.1

Word count: 43K words
Chapters: 25
ISBN: 9787512511880

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Summary

Wang Xizhi (303–361, also given as 307–365 or 321–379): Eastern Jin calligrapher. Courtesy name Yishao. A native of Linyi in Langya (present-day Linyi, Shandong). Of aristocratic birth. He rose to General of the Right Army and Interior Secretary of Kuaiji, and was known as "Wang Youjun." After falling out with Wang Shu, he resigned his post and settled in Shanyin, Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang). He once gathered with Xie An, Sun Chuo, and others at the Orchid Pavilion, where he wrote the famous Preface to the Orchid Pavilion. A master of calligraphy, he first studied under Lady Wei (Shuo), then changed his early style, studying cursive script under Zhang Zhi and regular script under Zhong You; drawing widely on the strengths of many masters and refining his forms, he broke new ground, transforming the plain, unadorned style prevailing since the Han and Wei into a new, graceful and fluent manner. He excelled in all scripts, especially regular and running script; his characters were vigorous, beautiful, and richly varied, and became the model revered by students of calligraphy through the ages. He is honored as the "Sage of Calligraphy." Many engraved reproductions of his writings survive, scattered through the collectanea of model calligraphy engraved since the Song. His running script is best preserved in the Tang monk Huairen's collected-character Sacred Teaching Preface. His cursive script includes the Seventeen Letters and others. No original autographs survive; only Tang-dynasty traced-and-filled copies remain, including the running-script Aunt, Oranges for Presentation, Mourning and Calamity, and Kong Shizhong, and the cursive First Month.

Editor's review

Compiled by the Pipobo International Center for the Study of World-Famous Figures and published by the International Culture Publishing Company, Wang Xizhi is a biographical title focused on the most brilliant star in the history of Chinese calligraphy: the Sage of Calligraphy, Wang Xizhi. Far from a daunting academic monograph, the book adopts an accessible style to systematically trace Wang Xizhi's life, artistic achievements, and historical context. It not only follows his journey from an aristocratic birth through the ups and downs of officialdom to a life devoted to nature and calligraphy, but also highlights the creative mindset and aesthetic value behind immortal works such as the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, closely linking his personal fate to the spirit of the Wei and Jin dynasties. For readers, its core value lies in offering a clear and complete cognitive framework that helps general readers cross the span of a millennium to understand how this artistic master elevated Chinese writing to a philosophical and aesthetic height and profoundly influenced later East Asian culture. The book is well documented and plainly narrated, making it a reliable introductory step toward understanding Wang Xizhi and his art. Admittedly, readers expecting exceptionally deep technical analysis or strikingly original scholarly views may find it somewhat conventional, but its solid content and fluent narration are more than enough to meet the needs of most enthusiasts of history and culture and of those taking their first steps in calligraphy.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of Chinese calligraphy, especially Wei-Jin calligraphy, and in history and culture.
General readers who want a systematic introduction to Wang Xizhi's life and artistic achievements.
Primary and secondary school teachers or students using it as extracurricular reading to broaden their knowledge of traditional culture.
Calligraphy practitioners seeking inspiration and cultivation from the life and work of the Sage of Calligraphy.

Not a good fit for

Professional researchers seeking extremely deep, strongly personal scholarly interpretations or the latest archaeological discoveries.
Pure technical learners who expect the book to contain many high-resolution calligraphy images for copying and appreciation.

Reading tips

Read alongside images of Wang Xizhi's transmitted masterpieces (such as the Shenlong tracing of the Lanting Xu), comparing text and image for a more intuitive experience.
Pay some attention to the politics and social customs of the Wei and Jin period to better understand the formation of Wang Xizhi's life choices and artistic style.
After finishing the biographical section, revisit the book's analysis of his representative works and reflect on the artistic realm in which 'the writing reflects the person'.

About the publisher

International Culture Publishing Corporation China · Founded in 1984

International Culture Publishing Corporation is a publisher known for introducing foreign literature and world classics, with about 283 relevant titles in the database. Its representative books include Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther, Hesse's Siddhartha, Jiménez's Platero and I, and Gibran's The Prophet, as well as cultural readings such as Zhu Guangqian's Twelve Letters to Youth and Common Talk on Classics. In psychology, it offers the nine-volume Collector's Edition of C. G. Jung's Works, covering social psychology and applied psychology. Its author resources include Goethe, Hesse, Jiménez, Jung, and Zhu Guangqian, along with Chinese authors involved in translation and compilation. Its publishing focus is on foreign literature, classic works, psychology, and culture, serving both academic and general readers. Public information is limited, and the above is based mainly on the books in the database.

版权信息
“中小学课本里的名人传记丛书”前言
出身宦门
“书圣”的诞生
从小喜爱书法
少年才俊
东床快婿
王敦之乱
为官之道
王导、郗鉴、庾亮相继去世
私自开仓放粮赈灾
思考如何应对灾荒
反对殷浩北伐前秦
结交会稽名士
失意的“书圣”
一挥而就传千古
“书圣”轶事
反对清谈
兰亭遗风
仕途多舛
退隐山林
成功避免了一次内战危机
宰相谢安的挚友
享年五十八岁
《兰亭集序》真迹的消亡

FAQ

What is this book's Douban rating?

On inquiry, rating information for this book on the Douban platform is currently not widely collected or displayed, possibly because it belongs to a relatively classic or specific biographical series with limited popular discussion. Readers are advised to focus more on the quality of the book's content and the reputation of the publisher.

What kind of organization is the author, the Pipobo International Center for the Study of World-Famous Figures?

The Pipobo International Center for the Study of World-Famous Figures is a creative team dedicated to compiling biographies of historical figures at home and abroad. Its series of biographies is characterized by solid historical materials, clear narration, and suitability for general readers, aiming to provide authoritative and accessible stories of famous people.

Is this book suitable for readers with no foundation in calligraphy at all?

Very much so. The book focuses on the life story and historical culture rather than professional instruction in calligraphy techniques. The language is accessible, and even readers with no calligraphy background can appreciate Wang Xizhi's personal charisma, his era, and the lofty standing of his art, gaining a good introduction to history and culture.

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About the author

皮波人物国际名人研究中心 Author

The Pipbo International Celebrity Research Center, founded in 2003, is the compilation team behind the "Pipbo Figures" biography book brand under Guowen Media. Under a collective byline, the center plans and compiles biographies of notable Chinese and foreign figures, with 60 titles in the collection, commonly classified under general biography. Representative works include biographies of Galileo, Edison, Darwin, Franklin, Nightingale, Zhuge Liang, and Chopin in the "Celebrity Biography Series," as well as "Nobel" in the "Celebrity Biographies in Primary and Secondary School Textbooks Series." These works cover fields such as military and political affairs, the humanities, finance and economics, history, and art, and the center also devotes attention to establishing a uniform format for multiple series, introducing famous figures' lives and contributions to primary and secondary school readers and general biography enthusiasts. As the name is an institutional byline, public information is limited, and the specific membership and individual biographies of its members are not covered here.