碑帖艺术价值的历史判断

Aesthetic Value of Traditional Chinese Handwriting Models and Rubbed Stone Inscriptions in the Context of Modern Chinese Calligraphic Art

帖学与碑学是书法艺术中的两大流派。自清代碑学形成后,碑帖之间孰优孰劣成为书学上争论的焦点,碑学大师康有为认为帖学书派自唐宋而下柔弱无力,大力提倡六朝碑版书风,实是矫枉过正。清代帖学的衰退是因其背离王羲之、王献之书法精神,艺术上陷于僵化造成的。碑、帖属于不同的美学范畴,因此不能厚此薄彼,而应将之置于同一个审美层面上,对它们加以全面认识并作出艺术取向上的定位,唯此,对当代书法的健康发展才能起到有益的作用。

Traditional Chinese handwriting models and rubbed stone inscriptions are two major schools in the history of Chinese calligraphy. The school of rubbed stone inscriptions came of age in the Qing Dynasty and seemed gradually to take over the place of handwriting models. Fierce disputes took place as to which school made more contribution to the fame and prestige of Chinese calligraphy. Kang Youwei, a renowned late Qing intellectualcumcalligrapher, for one, disdained the school of handwriting models by arguing that its styles and features went from bad to worse, lacking vigor and boldness, after the peak achievement in Tang and Song Dynasties. What Kang attempted to do was to promote overzealously the school of rubbed stone inscriptions of the Six Dynasties. One of the main factors conducive to the decline of Chinese handwriting models was the sharp departure from the quintessence of calligraphy. Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi were of the two exemplary figures. Both handwriting models and rubbed stone inscriptions belong to two distinctly different aesthetic categories. It does not help to extol one school and denigrate the other in studying the history of calligraphic art. It is more fitting to place them in the context of aesthetic value and appraise each in the proper perspective, thereby helping elevate the form of modern calligraphy.