Wang Xianzhi (, 344–386),

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theo ...

Zijing (子敬), was a famous

Chinese calligrapher Chinese calligraphy is the writing of Chinese characters as an art form, combining purely visual art and interpretation of the literary meaning. This type of expression has been widely practiced in China and has been generally held in high es ...

of the

Eastern Jin Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

dynasty. He was the seventh and youngest son of the famed

Wang Xizhi Wang Xizhi (; ; 303 AD361 AD) was a Chinese calligrapher, politician, general and writer during the Jin dynasty. He was best known for his mastery of Chinese calligraphy. Wang is sometimes regarded as the greatest Chinese calligrapher in Chines ...

. Wang inherited his father's talent for the art, 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 Pill Note 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 The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

, 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 practiced 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 The ''Lantingji Xu'' () or ''Lanting Xu'' ("Orchid Pavilion Preface"), is a piece of Chinese calligraphy work generally considered to be written by the well-known calligrapher Wang Xizhi (303 – 361) from the Eastern Jin dynasty (317 – 420 ...

'' or '' Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion.'' Along with his father Wang Xizhi,

Zhong Yao Zhong Yao (151 – April or May 230), also referred to as Zhong You, courtesy name Yuanchang, was a Chinese calligrapher and politician who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of China. He served in the state of ...

(鐘繇) and Zhang Zhi, Wang Xianzhi is recognized as one of the "Four Worthies of Calligraphy (書中四賢 shūzhōng sìxián)."

References

* Pang, Shutian
"Wang Xianzhi"
''

Encyclopedia of China The ''Encyclopedia of China'' () is the first large-entry modern encyclopedia in the Chinese language. The compilation began in 1978. Published by the Encyclopedia of China Publishing House, the encyclopedia was issued one volume at a time, begin ...

'' (Arts Edition), 1st ed.

External links

Wang Xianzhi and his Calligraphy Gallery
at China Online Museum

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wang, Xianzhi 344 births 386 deaths Jin dynasty (266–420) calligraphers 4th-century Chinese calligraphers