Wang Xianzhi (, 344–386),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Zijing (子敬), was a famous Chinese calligrapher of the Eastern Jin dynasty. Xianzhi was born to the

Wang clan of Langya The Wang clan of Langya (or Langye) () was a Chinese clan which gained political prominence during the Han dynasty and became one of the most powerful non-imperial clans during the Eastern Jin period. History Origins According to the New Book o ...

, an influential kin group descended from the

Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ) was the first Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China. It is named for its progenitor state of Qin, a fief of the confederal Zhou dynasty (256 BC). Beginning in 230 BC, the Qin under King Ying Zheng enga ...

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 The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

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

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

Representative works

File:ZhongQiuTie.jpg, ''Mid-Autumn Letter'' (中秋帖) File:Wang Xianzi Imitation by Tang Dynasty.JPG,

copy of ''Dihuang Soup Letter'' (黃湯帖) File:王獻之鴨頭丸帖.jpg, Tang dynasty copy of ''Duck Head Pills Letter'' (鴨頭丸帖) File:TwentyNinth Wang Xianzhi.JPG, Tang dynasty copy of ''Twenty-ninth Day Letter'' (廿九日帖)

References

* Pang, Shutian
"Wang Xianzhi"
'' Encyclopedia of China'' (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 Wang clan of Langya