Why is the "Zheng Wengong Stele" referred to as the "extreme track of round strokes on Wei steles"? Where is it really good?
During the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the development of calligraphy mainly focused on Wei steles. Compared with regular script, clerical script, running script, cursive script, seal script, and other fonts, the peak period of Wei stele development was relatively short, and the number of well-known calligraphers was also relatively small. However, during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, some top calligraphers still emerged, such as Zheng Daozhao, who was the pioneer of Wei steles and the "Northern Calligrapher", and together with Wang Xizhi, he was known as the "Northern Zheng and Southern Wang", representing the highest level of Wei steles.
He devoted his whole life to the creation of Wei steles, and his works are quite abundant, among which the Zheng Wengong Stele can be regarded as one of his representative works. Later generations referred to the Zheng Wengong Stele as the "extreme track of round strokes on Wei steles". So, what are the advantages of this work?
The Zheng Wengong Stele, also known as the Zheng Xi Stele, is divided into two parts: the upper and lower steles. The full name of the upper stele is "The Stele of Zheng Wengong, the Secretary General of the Wei Imperial Secretariat", and the full name of the lower stele is "The Stele of Zheng Jun, the Governor of Nanyang Wengong, the General of Andong in Yanzhou, the Secretary General of the Wei Imperial Secretariat". The two are collectively referred to as the "Zheng Wengong Upper and Lower Steles", abbreviated as the "Zheng Wengong Stele". Strictly speaking, this work belongs to cliff stone carvings.
There are countless works of Wei Bei, why can this work stand out and be highly praised among many Wei Bei works?
In terms of brushwork
Insert seal script into the stele, creating a smooth and harmonious shape. This work is different from most Wei steles. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the writing of Wei steles was mostly influenced by Li script, and there were traces of Li script in the use of pens, structure, and layout. However, this work was more derived from seal script, especially the extensive use of round pens, which made the traces of this work originating from seal script more obvious. The extensive use of round pens gives this work a graceful and temple like aura.
Heavy and solid, with a grand momentum. As Moyan stone carvings, their unevenness and roughness pose a great challenge to the writer, which requires the author to have a stable and solid brushwork and a unique and powerful aura that belongs to the carvings themselves. Compared to traditional calligraphy, Moyan stone carvings have less richness in brushwork, but are more stable and less beautiful, but more weighty. The author did not show any more dazzling skills on ordinary stone carving, but demonstrated solid basic skills and strong brushwork, which is enough to prove the high level of Zheng Daozhao's calligraphy.
On the structure
Rigorous and well-organized, with distinct bones and flesh. This work fully reveals the great Confucian demeanor of a "noble and benevolent person". A single character can achieve elegance from the side or from the right, combining seal script, rhyme, and grass emotions. It combines stability, vigor, and charm, and is elegant and clear in its dignified and strong style. It is steady and profound, containing a sense of wonder and soaring. With over a thousand words of clarity, the strokes are smooth, and the characters are comfortable and flowing. The direction of the strokes gently unfolds in the form of the font, flipping and dancing, and the posture is versatile and easy to pick up. "If the stars are beautiful, all have their own uniqueness.".
Meeting danger in a peaceful place. As a masterpiece in the Wei stele, this work deeply influenced the development of Tang Kai script. Famous calligraphers Yu Shinan and Ouyang Xun were deeply influenced by this work, and Zheng Daozhao followed certain rules to arrange each character steadily and solidly. On the basis of the main strokes such as horizontal and vertical strokes, we strive to use techniques such as cutting, trimming, and lifting vertically to perfectly display the flying of character forms and the dense interweaving of spatial layout in a strong, broad, and solid manner, reflecting our superb ability to grasp the unity of opposites, thus achieving the artistic effect of "seeing danger in a flat and upright place". This is consistent with Ouyang Xun's character structure characteristics.
In terms of organization and structure
Mighty and grand, elegant and beautiful. On the whole, this work is magnificent, such as the Great Wall, Afang Palace, and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. It gives people a sense of "large and solemn". Zheng Daozhao keeps a certain distance from the edge of the monument in the blank arrangement of the whole monument, forming a natural sense of "inside", which is in harmony with the outward extension of the word and writing style, laying a stable tone for the whole monument's "solid and thick, elegant and meaningful". This style has a great impact on Yan Zhenqing of later generations.
Since its inception, this work has been highly praised by later generations, especially in the Qing Dynasty, where its reputation became even more prominent and it was promoted as the crown of Wei steles. The Zheng Wengong Stele, along with the Burial Crane Inscription, is also regarded as a representative of North and South steles. During the Qing Dynasty, Bao Shichen said, "The Zheng Wengong Stele bears the image of a cloud, crane, and seagull." Kang Youwei of the Qing Dynasty referred to this as the "extreme measure of a round brush on a Wei stele." Modern calligrapher Zhong Zhishuai said, "The Yunfeng Wei Stele inherits the remaining charm of Han Li and sets the tone for Tang Kai. It is truly a masterpiece of a generation, worthy of eternal beauty."
