Why is the "Zhang Menglong Stele" known as the "Number One Wei Stele"? Where is it really good?
The Stele of Zhang Menglong, also known as the Stele of Zhang Fujun, the Prefect of Weilu County, is 280 centimeters high and 123 centimeters wide. It mainly praises the achievements and virtues of Zhang Menglong, the Prefect of Lu County, in establishing schools. This work is both perilous and elegant, and full of grandeur and grace; It is both interesting and lively, as well as quaint and elegant. It seeks harmony and change through neatness and harmony. It is natural and smooth, with a rich and elegant atmosphere. It is the most renowned work in Northern Wei inscriptions and a representative of the refined, elegant and upright writing style. Later generations have called it the "number one Wei stele".
So, why is the "Zhang Menglong Stele" so famous? Where is it really good?
In terms of brushwork
Rich brushwork and a balance between square and circular strokes. In this work, the horizontal strokes are round and square, with a square brush and a steady and heavy horizontal stroke, exuding a majestic momentum and typical characteristics of a northern stele. And the starting strokes of square strokes with horizontal strokes are full of hidden dew and varied; And the round brush horizontal painting has a graceful, gorgeous and full body, with a deep Southern Dynasty charm.
The vertical paintings in this work are even more colorful, with a variety of features such as short, long waisted, vertical, and sharp strokes. Among them, Changpi has the characteristic of being graceful and graceful, with a perfect melody. The strokes of the character "spring" are thicker and more square in shape. The reverse stroke first moves upwards to the right, and then the stroke is turned back to the left and downwards, which greatly tests the skill of the calligrapher.
For example, in works of calligraphy, the strokes are open and full of twists and turns. When the calligrapher reaches the root of the stroke, they either hide the brush in the previous stroke or cut the edge to start the stroke. The richness of brushwork makes the entire work full of vitality.
For example, in works of art, the strokes are either forceful or in a circular shape; The strokes are diverse, with different directions for lifting, pressing, grabbing, and squatting. This deeply reflects that the author's control over the pen has reached a perfect level.
On the online bar
Integration of North and South, with both grandeur and elegance. The reason why this work can become a masterpiece in the Wei stele is largely due to the author's extensive collection of strengths. The "Zhang Menglong Stele" is like a long sword and halberd, delicious and sharp. Most of the strokes are sharp and square, with straight lines, firm and steady, giving it a strong Northern Dynasty atmosphere. At the same time, the author also integrated the characteristics of Southern Dynasty brushwork, especially the sharp and delicate strokes. Upon closer inspection, there is less sharpness and more elegance, which is a typical Southern Dynasty calligraphy style. It is precisely because of the author's mastery of brushwork from the Northern and Southern Dynasties that this work combines hardness and softness, making it a rare masterpiece that has been passed down.
On the structure
The layout is natural and the density is moderate. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, Wei steles developed rapidly, and the reason for their rapid development was due to the maturity of Li script after the Eastern Han Dynasty. The origin of Wei steles was Li script, and during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, due to the influence of Li script, they still carried a lot of Li script strokes. Whether in strokes or structures, we can see the shadow of Li script. This work is no exception, as the strokes are arranged according to the density of the character structure, which is consistent with the structural style of many famous works of clerical script in the late Han Dynasty.
To appreciate and learn the "Zhang Menglong Stele", you can click below to purchase calligraphy. The high-definition enlarged version in color is suitable for copying and learning!
The primary and secondary are staggered, and the combination of cloth, white, virtual, and real. In the "Zhang Menglong Stele", the horizontal strokes and pinyin are more prominent, while the vertical strokes are relatively more restrained compared to the horizontal strokes and pinyin. From this point, it can also be seen that it shares similarities with the official script.
The characters are scattered and interesting, breaking through the barriers of clerical script. The Zhang Menglong Stele, as a masterpiece in the Wei Dynasty, did not blindly follow the direction of clerical script, but broke through the barriers of clerical script, providing important reference and transition for the development of regular script in the Sui and Tang dynasties. The characters used in the work are less neat than those in the official script, but more agile, using the strokes and staggered strokes to the extreme. For example, the upper part of the character "Lu" is leftward misaligned, and the vertical hook under the character "Shi" is a leftward misaligned technique compared to normal writing. Such changes have made the "Zhang Menglong Stele" originating from Lishu but different from Lishu, inspiring Tang Kai but also different from Tang Kai.
Once this work was born, it received high praise. During the Qing Dynasty, Yang Shoujing said, "Calligraphy is elegant and ancient, with a unique and upright style, which is why it stands out from the Tang Dynasty during the Six Dynasties period." Mr. Qigong said, "The Zhang Menglong Stele is a crown among the various steles of the Northern Dynasty." Famous calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty, such as Yu Shinan and Ouyang Xun, drew nourishment from this work. During the Qing Dynasty, the influence of the Zhang Menglong Stele reached its peak, and those who study and study Wei steles all started from it.
