May 22, 2007 Shenzhen Business Daily

"Shanghai Calligraphy Exhibition in Beijing" was recently exhibited in China Art Museum, which caused quite a stir. It is said that this is the first time to show the splendid atmosphere of Shanghai calligraphy on such a large scale.

From the end of 19, Shanghai began to become an important town of calligraphy and painting in China. Some people say that talents and prostitutes go to places with money. Yangzhou in Qing Dynasty was a gathering place for salt merchants, many literati painters and prostitutes. The original ship of Yangzhou recorded the prosperity of Yangzhou at that time. More than 100 years ago, Shanghai became the economic center of China, and became a famous leader in the history of modern calligraphy and painting, such as Zhao, Wu Changshuo, Kang Youwei, Shen, Zeng, Zheng,,, Huang, Shen Yinmo, Yu Youren, Ma Gongyu, Zhang Daqian, Shirley Wang, Wang Michang, Lai Chusheng, Pan Boying, Baijiao and Ma Gongyu. Many activities, such as association, exhibition, publication and market development of China calligraphy, all originated in Shanghai, leading the fashion and influencing the whole country. Whether they are old people in the Qing Dynasty, veterans of the Republic of China or "teenagers" who just entered the art world, there is only one reason why they sell Chinese characters in Shanghai. At that time, there was demand and market in Shanghai. Speaking of the characteristics of "Shanghai style calligraphy", as Zhou Hui, the current chairman of the Shanghai Calligraphers Association, said, "It is hard to say which specific calligraphy style represented Shanghai style calligraphy at that time. Perhaps there is no specific style of calligraphy, and each style is the characteristic of Shanghai calligraphy. "

In order to cooperate with the "Jinjing Exhibition", the Shanghai Calligraphy Association also compiled and published the Series of Works of Representative Calligraphers of Shanghai School, and selected ten most representative calligraphers from the talented calligraphers of Shanghai School, namely Wu Changshuo, Shen, Shen, Lai Chusheng, Bai Jiao, Xie Helu and so on. The time span is from the end of 19 to the beginning of the 20th century, with one episode per person. These ten calligraphers can also be said to represent the highest achievement of China's calligraphy in that era. Of course, strictly speaking, the main activity center of these ten masters is not in Shanghai, and the main achievements of Lai Chusheng and Xie Helu are painting rather than calligraphy. However, Zheng, the most famous calligrapher in the early 20th century, mainly printed calligraphy in Shanghai. It seems a bit unreasonable not to accept Zheng. Maybe it's because people abandoned calligraphy.