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王獻之[View] [Edit] [History]ctext:727294

Xianzhi was born to the Wang clan of Langya, an influential kin group descended from the Qin dynasty general Wang Jian. He was the seventh and youngest son of the famed calligrapher Wang Xizhi. Wang inherited his father's talent for the arts, and although several of his siblings were notable calligraphers, only Xianzhi was able to eventually equal his father in status, with the pair later attaining the appellation, "The Two Wangs (二王 èr wáng)." Wang Xianzhi's (also referred to as "Wang Junior" 小王) style is substantially more fluid and stylistic than that of his father ("Wang Senior" 大王), whose structural firmness nonetheless remains unrivaled. Xianzhi's most celebrated accomplishment is his refinement of the "running-cursive" script (行草), a writing style which, as the name implies, combines features of both the cursive and running scripts. The Duck-Head Pills Letter is an outstanding example of this technique. Another of Xianzhi's accomplishments is the extensive application of the "one-stroke writing" technique for (cursive script), historically (though perhaps incorrectly) attributed to Zhang Zhi (張芝) of the Late Han, which strings together several characters (typically three to four) into a single stroke or renders a complex character in a rather convoluted single stroke. Until the Tang dynasty, Wang Xianzhi's influence and reputation largely surpassed that of his father.
Wang Xizhi noticed Xianzhi's talent early on and started training him in calligraphy at around the age of seven. According to one popular anecdote, Wang Xizhi once unsuccessfully tried to snatch Xianzhi's brush from behind while the latter was writing. Being amazed at Xianzhi's strong grip, Wang Xizhi remarked, "This son of mine is destined for fame!" Wang Xianzhi continued to practice diligently into adulthood until finally becoming as skilled as his father. Xianzhi died at age 42 while still in his prime. By comparison, his father did not produce many of the works he is most known for until his late forties and fifties, including the work he is most well known for (though this attribution remains controversial), Lantingji Xu or Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion. Along with his father Wang Xizhi, Zhong Yao (鐘繇) and Zhang Zhi, Wang Xianzhi is recognized as one of the "Four Worthies of Calligraphy (書中四賢 shūzhōng sìxián)."
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珊瑚網 | 6 |
全上古三代秦漢三國六朝文 | 3 |
御定佩文齋書畫譜 | 6 |
嘉泰吳興志 | 2 |
石渠寶笈 | 2 |
四朝聞見錄 | 2 |
萬姓統譜 | 2 |
大清一統志 | 4 |
記纂淵海 | 2 |
書斷列傳 | 2 |
山堂肆考 | 2 |
御定駢字類編 | 2 |
畫史會要 | 2 |
古樂苑 | 2 |
書史會要 | 2 |
宣和書譜 | 2 |
書訣 | 2 |
繪事備考 | 2 |
冊府元龜 | 6 |
吳興備志 | 2 |
陳檢討四六 | 2 |
氏族大全 | 2 |
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