吳大澂
Wu Da-cheng, Zhi-ching止敬, Qing-qing清卿, nickname. Heng-xuan 恒轩. 1835, Suzhou, prov. Jiangsu, - 1902 died there. calligrapher, artist, society. a figure and scientist of the Qing era (1644-1911).
Born in a wealthy merchant family. His academic and service career developed brilliantly: at the age of 33, he received a jin-shi degree, followed by an academic title and appointments to high civil and military posts. He was a member of the association of calligraphers and artists "Blooming Duckweed Society" (Pinghua-she), later he was a member of a number of other creative unions, primarily in Shanghai. As an artist, he is ranked among the Shanghai School (Shanghai-Pai), while stipulating a special place in it. The collections of ancient ritual bronze and seals collected by Wu Da-cheng were among the largest in the empire, and the owner himself was considered the best expert on inscriptions on antiquities, including Han memorial steles. One of the first scientists gave archaeology in China a scientific. status. Constantly staying in power and in the thick of the polit. events, invariably found time for calligraphy. Among his entourage, such high-ranking dignitaries as Wen Tong-he (1830 1904), Shen Tseng-zhi (1850 1922), and others were professionally engaged in calligraphy. Wu Da-cheng patronized others a lot. calligraphers, especially Wu Chang-shi and Huang Shi-lu (1849-1908).
Da-cheng's favorite handwriting was Dazhuan of the pre-imperial period and lishu of the late Han era. His works in these handwriting became a reference for beginning calligraphers of the twentieth century . The only one among the intellectuals and literati of his time, Wu conducted personal correspondence in Dazhuan's handwriting. Unlike his contemporaries, who signed works in the handwriting of xingshu or tsaoshu, usually wrote his name in the handwriting of lishu. The naib chose. concise versions of writing archaic characters. His refined mind was aimed at simplicity, clarity and concreteness of ancient thinking. In the monuments of II-I thousand BC. he found the origins of national culture and the main elements of his own. worldviews.
Da-cheng's brush in zhuanshu's handwriting moves slowly with uniform pressure, leaving wide and identical in thickness features, as if carved with a knife on malleable bronze. The calligrapher strives for the independence of the high energy of signs from the dynamics of features, creates a balanced balance of vectors of forces directed in opposite directions of the lines. All the endings of the traits are closed by prescribing backwards, which makes the plasticity of his signs completely closed. Surprisingly, its static features communicate such strong impulses to the surrounding background that the space around the hieroglyphs is perceived as a continuum swaying with various vibrations.
Wu Da-cheng was a prominent seal master. His favorite inscription on the seals: Er shi ba jiang-jun yin zhai ("Seal "Studio 28 generals""). That was the name of his own. Studio in memory of the 28 military seals of Dean. Han (206 BC -220 AD).
Works: paired wall scrolls, 1883(?), Dazhuan handwriting (Taipei, Historical Museum); album in Zhuanshu handwriting, 1884 (Taipei, Gugong), etc.
