Chinese Painting: Vestiges of Wang Xizhi’s Style of Calligraphy; Developments up to the Tang Dynasty
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Record of the Creation of Wei Lingzang's Buddhist Statue (detail), Stele: Northern Wei dynasty, 5th century (Gift of Mr. Imaizumi Yusaku)
Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 8
January 2, 2019 (Wed) - March 3, 2019 (Sun)The avant-garde calligraphy of Wang Xizhi hugely influenced the calligraphy of the Northern and Southern dynasties. In the Southern dynasties, when the Song, Qi, Lian, and Chen dynasties rose and fell one after another, the sophisticated style of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi was passed down through the generations. Meanwhile, in the Northern dynasties, when the Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, and Northern Zhou flourished and declined in succession, the classical style of calligraphy that was in use received influence from the Southern dynasties and gradually became more structured and magnificent. After the Sui dynasty unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, their calligraphic styles merged even further. This exhibition traces the process of how the beautiful and intellectual style of the Tang dynasty came into existence.