What is special about Chinese calligraphy?
Chinese calligraphy serves the purpose of conveying thought but also shows the ‘abstract’ beauty of the line. Rhythm, line, and structure are more perfectly embodied in calligraphy than in painting or sculpture. Every Chinese character is built up in its own square with a variety of structure and composition.
Did the Chinese invent calligraphy?
Calligraphy established itself as the most important ancient Chinese art form alongside painting, first coming to the fore during the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE).
What is the importance of calligraphy?
Calligraphy allows you to see each word and phrase, the way a painting allows you to put words to the story depicted – this art form emphasizes the beauty and history of the written word. Think of your all-time favorite quote and imagine it typed out on a piece of paper in front of you.
What are the principles of Chinese calligraphy?
In Chinese calligraphy we use side strokes very sparingly and focus on the round strokes with combinations of very little side strokes and different percentages of round (non-angular) strokes ( 圓筆 ) and angular strokes ( 方筆 ). With round strokes, the strokes will be full of strength and vigor.
How calligraphy is used today?
Calligraphy continues to flourish in the forms of wedding invitations and event invitations, font design and typography, original hand-lettered logo design, religious art, announcements, graphic design and commissioned calligraphic art, cut stone inscriptions, and memorial documents.
What is the history of calligraphy?
The origin of Calligraphy with brushes dates back to ancient China during the Shang dynasty becoming more common during the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) where it was expected for all educated men and some women to be proficient at it.
How many types of Chinese calligraphy are there?
five
The vocabulary of calligraphy. There are five major script types used today in China. In the general order of their appearance, there are: seal script, clerical script, cursive script, running script, and standard script.
What are the four treasures of Chinese calligraphy?
Chinese artists create paintings and calligraphy with the Four Treasures of a Scholar’s Studio: Brush, inkstick, paper, and inkstone.
How many types of calligraphy are there?
There are three main types of calligraphy: western, eastern, and Arabic. Each type reflects the language and handwriting of a different region of the world.
When did Chinese calligraphy start?
The earliest extant examples of Chinese writing are the inscriptions that appear on so-called oracle bones (animal bones and turtle shells) and on bronze vessels, the oldest of which date back to the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600-ca. 1100 B.C.E.).