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The great Yuan Dynasty artist Zhao Mengfu has a very famous poem on a painting: "Stones are like flying white, wood is like Zhuan, and bamboo should be written with the eight methods. If there are people who can understand this, they must know that calligraphy and painting are originally the same." This poem puts forward the view that "calligraphy and painting have the same origin", which is talked about by later generations. Calligraphers and painters can often possess both identities at the same time, especially during the period from the Song Dynasty to the Republic of China.

Chinese Calligraphy once selected the "Top Ten Calligraphers of the 20th Century", among which Wu Changshuo was the master of "poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal carving", while Qi Baishi was more famous. In addition to Wu and Qi, Zhang Daqian, Huang Binhong, Pan Tianshou and Li Keran were also very good at calligraphy. Compared with ordinary calligraphers, they had an obvious advantage, that is, they could incorporate painting into calligraphy, and their personalities were particularly distinct.

At the China Guardian Spring Auction 2023, the manuscript of "Painting Study" by the famous painter Huang Binhong made its first appearance, attracting the attention of the art world and was eventually sold for 23 million yuan. This transaction price is close to the authentic works of famous Tang and Song Dynasty artists. It should be noted that Huang Binhong is not the "darling" of the calligraphy auction world, so this can also be regarded as a "miracle."

This work is 34.5 cm long and 227 cm wide, with more than 2,000 characters in total. Some scholars believe that this price is a bargain. Because "Painting" is Huang Binhong's masterpiece in his later years, it is extremely rich in content. It is his masterpiece in combing Chinese painting and the crystallization of his painting thoughts. Many of his insights have provided important academic directions and research foundations for the study of art history in later generations, and it can be called "a powerful voice of the times that awakens the deaf."

Moreover, some people in the auction industry pointed out that even if the price of this "Painting Study" exceeds 100 million yuan, it is reasonable. If it is bought at 20 million yuan, it will appreciate in value! However, some netizens said that putting aside its theoretical value and focusing on its calligraphy, it can be found that this work is a typical "ugly calligraphy" with almost no good-looking characters. It is completely a "celebrity effect" and "characters are valuable because of the person who wrote them."

So, is this really the case? First of all, we must know that this is Huang Binhong's draft, which has not been re-copied, so the writing state is extremely natural, and the traces of smears, circles, and corrections have been preserved, which can truly reflect his level. Yan Zhenqing's "Eulogy for My Nephew" and "Dispute over Seat" are of high level, and the scrolls are also messy and can hardly be called beautiful.

Secondly, Huang Binhong is not a "cross-border calligrapher" or a "celebrity calligrapher". He learned calligraphy since childhood and has a deep foundation. He also learned from many teachers and studied both stele and calligraphy. Huang Binhong is proficient in all five styles of calligraphy, and is particularly good at bronze inscriptions, regular script and cursive script. He studied Wu Changshuo and Liu Yong recently, and copied the stone drum inscriptions and bronze inscriptions of the pre-Qin period in the distant past.

His characters are clumsy and clever, with strong brushstrokes and the center of the brush. He is good at creating slow, fast, slow, thick and thin changes. The characters are strange and varied, the composition is well-spaced, the size of the characters is staggered, and the flying white adds to the antiquity. If you appreciate it carefully, you will find many exquisite features.

What do you think of Huang Binhong’s calligraphy? Welcome to leave a message in the comment section!