Who is Weng Tonghe?

Weng Tonghe

Published on: 2006-6-11 Viewed: 230 times

Weng Tonghe (1830-1904) was once praised by Kang Youwei as "the first emperor of China's Restoration" A mentor”. He is a great politician and a great calligrapher.

The half-acre garden is the library of the Zhao family in Changshu. It has a mountain on its back and a stream on its back, with sparse flowers and trees beside the pavilion, rugged rocks beside the lake, and swaying bamboo shadows under the pavilion. The elegant environment is suitable for gatherings of literati. From 1872 to 1874, Weng Tonghe had a short period of leisure because Dingyou returned to his hometown to guard the system. Literati from Changshu and surrounding areas gathered here to invite Weng to talk about calligraphy. Unable to resist such hospitality, Weng Tonghe shared his experience over the years -

Weng Tonghe believed that during the Qin and Han Dynasties, there were only as few outstanding calligraphers as morning stars. He admired Cai Yong, who wrote in "Lu Jun's Stele" that he was "insightful and refreshing, as if he had divine power". I also admire Zhong Yao, whose "Yi Ying Stele" is like "Clouds and cranes roam the sky, and a group of Hong Hong play in the sea". Among the famous calligraphers after the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Weng Tonghe particularly praised Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy. "Duobao Pagoda" is neat and rigorous, with vigorous brushwork; There is a degree. The birth of the word Yan gave China's plaques and posters a new description. The style of the word Yan reflected the atmosphere of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Weng Tonghe also believed that Huaisu's pen moves like a dragon or a snake, is majestic, alive but never separated, separated but never separated, and serves as a model for learning cursive script.

In the late Qing Dynasty, the trend of studying Qin and Han seal scripts and Beibei stele became increasingly popular. Weng Tonghe believed that learning stele and inscriptions focused on their momentum and less on their shape. The attitude when studying inscriptions should be "wide-ranging" rather than "single-minded", cultivating everyone to become a family of their own.

Weng Tonghe believes that those who come to Linchi should master the two key points of distribution and writing. Regarding the structure of characters and the organization of lines, "Beginners learn distribution, but seek fairness; once you know fairness, pursue danger; once you enter The danger is over, and peace is restored." These words have already grasped the meaning of negation. Weng Tonghe also emphasized: "The flatness of horizontal strokes is also a key point for calligraphers." As for writing, "it must be zigzag and flexible", "it must be cantilevered, and the strokes must be open". He also pointed out that a common problem in writing is "failure to pause at the beginning of writing" and "if not paused, the structure of the whole character will be scattered and it will float away and make it impossible to stand up." "You should pay attention to the roundness and strength when dropping ink", "When talking about the counter-front method, the strokes must be soft and gentle", so that the structure of the characters can be "beautiful with both hardness and softness".

Weng Tonghe also emphasized that mature calligraphy should have "qi" and "momentum". The grand momentum is reflected in the composition of the text, while the small momentum is reflected in the structure of dots and dashes. The structure should be hard, "Books that are expensive, thin and hard can lead to spiritual enlightenment." The hardness is related to the movement of the wrist. "If the wrist is weak, the writing will not be good." However, if the writing is firm, the wrist will be strong.

Weng Tonghe believes that copying ancient texts and studying calligraphy complement each other. "The books of famous masters are all in order, and all the rays of light are regulated. It cannot be achieved without Mochi's pen." When writing a post, one should not forget to read the calligraphy theory. Only by constantly absorbing the experience of calligraphy from predecessors and contemporary people, calligraphy can be achieved. Only then can we improve day by day. He studied calligraphy theory and followed the calligraphy strategies of Sun Guoting, the Four Masters of the Song Dynasty, and Zhao Mengfu of the Yuan Dynasty. He also praised and prepared the "Yizhou Shuangyi" written by Bao Shichen of this dynasty.

Talk eloquently and in detail, and your words will make the listeners sincerely convinced. Following the swan geese passed on by the listeners, Weng's half-acre garden discussed the book, which influenced the official circles in Changshu far away. Soon, knowledgeable people in the capital also talked about this matter.