王羲之
Calligraphy is intimately tied to the course of Chinese history, being in fact its very medium.
China was united under the Qin and Han dynasties over the four centuries or so between about 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. But then for the next four centuries it descended into relative chaos.
Wang Xizhi (303-361) - pronounced Ōgishi in Japanese - was born into one of China's most influential noble families during the time of the Western Jin dynasty, which gave way to the Eastern Jin dynasty in 317. His birth was just three years before the end of the War of the Eight Princes, followed by the Wu Hu Uprising. Both were extraordinarily barbaric events of mutual ravage and slaughter by the ruling class that, combined with famine, floods, and epidemics, decimated the population and led even to such horrors as cannibalism.
In this situation, with the traditional rulers of China having almost eliminated themselves from public life, scholar-officials stepped in as new sources of authority. Unlike the old ruling class that based its legitimacy on the virtue of its behavior and speech, the scholar-officials prized the written word. What under the old order had been dismissed as an "unorthodox craft" or a "trivial skill" now became promoted as a national project of lasting significance. Calligraphy, the main personal pursuit of China's scholar-officials became a major part of this new-found focus, and calligraphy came to be invested with personality and spirit. The chief exemplar of this development was Wang Xizhi.
Wang Xizhi was noticed by the Eastern Jin imperial court as a teen for his potential and, having found official favor, quickly rose in to positions of influence. The quality he was most noted for was his seriousness of mind that showed in his indifference to worldly success. He was said to have lacked any affectation in manner and shown more concern for those he was charged with administering than with his own person or career.
Wang Xizhi's family had several prominent calligraphers, the most famous being his uncle, younger than he, Wang Yi (276-322). He was taught calligraphy by Wang Yi and one of China's most prominent female calligraphers, Wei Shuo (who may have been his aunt).
Wang Xizhi seems to have found most acclaim as an artist in his later years once he had renounced life as an official and took to touring, hunting, fishing and discussing Taoism with his friends.
His calligraphy was considered sublime in its strength and vigor, its grace (grace being the quality most prized in calligraphy during the time of the Jin dynasty), and its changefulness. He was apparently able to greatly variegate the characters he wrote while still maintaining an almost magical unity among them.
Having practiced Japanese calligraphy myself for only about four years, I am still a novice when it comes to judging the quality of calligraphy, but a look at Wang Xizhi's work inspires me with its real kick and flair that never descends into exaggeration or quirkiness, but maintains a strong backbone and an overall classical harmony. If a person's hand really does reveal his or her personality, then the stories of his personal strengths and virtue do indeed ring true.
Wang Xizhi's many works exist only as copies today. A couple of his most famous are Deploring the Death of My Aunt (Yimu tie) and Letter Written in the First Lunar Month (Chu yue tie).
Wang Xizhi still occupies the top echelon of China's artistic pantheon as the "Sage of Calligraphy."
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