尊碑贬帖 – Chinese philosophy and culture

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zūn bēi biǎn tiè 尊碑贬帖

Praising Stone Inscriptions while Belittling Copying from Stone Rubbings

推崇碑刻书法,贬抑单纯摹仿名家帖书。它是一种书法思潮,也是追求自然多变、推崇个性与创新的书论主张。阮元(1764—1849)反对独尊二王、以学帖为法的悠久传统,指出帖书和碑刻书体各有所长。包世臣(1775—1855)详论碑刻书体的特点,有以其优点补帖书之不足的意思。康有为(1858—1927)指出帖书辗转相传、失却原貌是尊碑的客观原因,碑刻能够呈现书体的阶段性变化和历史多样性。康有为认为书论“可著圣道,可发王制,可洞人理,可穷物变”,应该立足现状考察历史,穷则思变,其维新变法思想在此初露端倪。

This term means to advocate stone-borne calligraphy while deprecating handcopied script in mere imitation of famed calligraphers. It reflects a calligraphic trend toward natural variation and individual creativity. Ruan Yuan (1764-1849), for example, opposed the age-old tradition of lauding master calligraphers Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi alone and honoring the practice of learning calligraphy only by copying an exemplary sample preserved on paper. He held that stone-borne calligraphy, like hand-copied script, had its own distinctive merits. Bao Shichen (1775-1855) elaborated further on the features of stone-borne calligraphy, stating that it made up for the inadequacies in paper-borne calligraphy. Kang Youwei (1858-1927) saw the loss of original form when paperborne copies passed from hand to hand over generations as justification for favoring stone-borne calligraphy. Calligraphy on stones, he maintained, could show its change and variety over different historical periods. He said that commentaries on calligraphy “helped to highlight the ways of the sages, urge the renewal of monarchical institutions, gain insight into human nature, and explore the laws of change for all things in the universe.” Calligraphy should inspire a re-examination of history on the basis of present-day conditions and prepare people for drastic reform.

引例 Citation:

◎是故短笺长卷,意态挥洒,则帖擅其长;界格方严,法书深刻,则碑据其胜。(阮元《北碑南帖论》)

(因此无论是短笺还是长卷,随心挥洒笔墨,是帖书的长处;若论结构方正严谨而又下笔深沉有力,则是碑刻的长处。)

Therefore, whether in the form of a brief note or a long scroll, free and uninhibited execution is the merit of paper-borne calligraphy. On the other hand, stone-borne calligraphy boasts structural rigor and discipline marked by deep, powerful execution. (Ruan Yuan: On Stone-borne Calligraphy in the North and Paper-borne Calligraphy in the South)

◎今日欲尊帖学,则翻之已坏,不得不尊碑。(康有为《广艺舟双楫·尊碑》)

(今人想要尊崇帖学,但书帖因辗转翻刻原貌已被破坏,从而不得不转而推尊碑体书法。)

Many of our contemporaries honor the practice of emulating paper-borne calligraphy. However, calligraphy on that medium has lost its genuineness passing through generations, hence the shift to stone-borne calligraphy. (Kang Youwei: A Further Elaboration on the Techniques of Writing and Calligraphy)

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